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Wireless connectivity transforms point-of-care blood glucose testing

Roche blood glucose meters and point-of-care data management solution have allowed Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to meet patient safety and Clinical Pathology Accreditation requirements. The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has recently installed Roche Accu-Chek Inform II wireless-enabled blood glucose meters in wards, clinics and theatres across all three of its acute hospital sites in Wakefield, Pontefract and Dewsbury. The meters are linked wirelessly to the hospital information system (HIS) via the Roche point-of-care (POC) data management solution, cobas IT 1000, allowing them to be managed centrally in accordance with national guidelines for POC devices.

“Wireless connectivity allows the glucose meters to be ‘seen’ at all times,” comments Tracey Eastwood, senior biomedical scientist responsible for POC testing in the trust. “This means that there is regular and fast transmission of data, even when the meters are not sitting in their docking stations, and each meter can be accessed by authorised individuals at any time and from any PC within the trust. They only need to be returned to their docking stations to be recharged.”

Quality control and accreditation
In addition to transmitting patient results, Accu-Chek Inform II also records quality control (QC) results, operator and patient details, consumable details, configuration information and comments. The data transmitted by the meters are managed by cobas IT 1000, which permits patient validation, operator recognition and material lot tracking. These capabilities are valuable in helping hospitals to meet Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) requirements for POC testing.

“Our new blood glucose testing system helps us to fulfil CPA requirements in a number of ways,” explains Tracey Eastwood. “It provides a central record of all data, including QC records, which, in turn, provide an important audit trail. The system also enables us to manage reagents, calibrations and QC centrally. This has removed the risk of operator errors and the QC lockout feature ensures that operators perform the necessary QC activities at the required intervals, otherwise the meter cannot be used.

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