Science & Technology
Wed, February 18, 2009Tue, February 17, 2009Mon, February 16, 2009Sun, February 15, 2009Sat, February 14, 2009Fri, February 13, 2009Thu, February 12, 2009Mediware Information Systems: Mediware Helps Reduce Risk of Disease Transfer in NICU
Published in Science and Technology on Monday, February 16th 2009 at 7:20 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-02-16 07:22:08 by Market Wire
LENEXA, KS--(Marketwire - February 16, 2009) - [ Mediware Information Systems ] (
"The availability of LacTrack expands upon our strategy to extend technology solutions from the clinical departments to the patient's bedside to improve safety and efficiency," said Kelly Mann, Mediware's president and chief executive officer. "The sale to All Children's helps validate our strategy and shows that high value solutions such as ours are still in demand despite increasing economic concerns."
In operation for more than 80 years, All Children's Hospital is currently building a new facility that will increase capacity to 259 beds, including 97 in NICU. As a part of this expansion the hospital is implementing new technologies intended to improve overall efficiencies as well as address patient safety concerns. Improving their ability to safely and effectively manage NICU feedings and mother's milk is one of many planned improvements.
"Most people do not understand the needs and risks associated with managing mother's milk in an NICU environment," said Jean Francis, All Children's senior vice president of clinical services. "It has been viewed as a relatively simple, low tech process in our high tech industry. But we are learning to treat breast milk processing and feeding with the same safeguards as blood or medication administration."
The milk administration process requires the hospital to receive and inventory mother's milk, add supplemental nutrients as prescribed, and validate patient and donor identity prior to each feeding to ensure each infant is getting the right milk. A facility the size of All Children's will perform approximately 8,000 feedings per month. With handling and preparations, this translates into an estimated 24,000 opportunities for error in the feeding process alone. While the risk of disease transmission is minimal, a mis-administration frequently requires additional care that can cause tremendous stress for both families and staff and adds to the cost of care.
Ms Francis continues: "What sold us is the fact that this is a technology that works for us versus us having to adapt. LacTrack is really unique in that it is designed specifically to meet the requirement of managing breast milk. From receipt of the milk, through storage, supplements and administration, it provides us a closed-loop environment to ensure safety at every point in the process. It is a quantum leap in efficiency and is our final defense to ensure our babies are safe and secure."
Using LacTrack, mother's milk is bar coded for identification and inventoried at the hospital. The system records where the milk is stored, how it is to be prepared and tracks each unit throughout the hospital until it is ultimately used or discarded. LacTrack also includes the ability to use handheld technologies to enable NICU nurses to manage and monitor the feeding requirements from the bedside. This includes placing new nutritional orders and validating patient identification prior to feeding to ensure that the right milk is being administered.
About LacTrack® SafeLx
LacTrack is an award winning suite of integrated software modules developed in partnership with mother's milk experts for improving milk administration safety as well as the efficient management and traceability of milk stocks. LacTrack was developed by Canadian-based [ Neoteric Technology Ltd. ]and is being marketed by Mediware under a distribution agreement. LacTrack is a registered trademark of Neoteric Technology Ltd.
About All Children's
All Children's Hospital is the only specialty licensed children's hospital on Florida's west coast. Founded in 1926, All Children's has grown into a leading pediatric referral center that is dedicated to advancing treatment, education, research and advocacy in child health. In January 2007, Child magazine named All Children's one of the top 25 children's hospitals in North America for the fourth consecutive time. [ Click to read more ] from the All Children's Hospital website ([ www.allkids.org ]).
About Mediware
Mediware delivers ClosedLoop™ blood and medication management software systems that encapsulate information supporting patient therapies, reinforce patient safety practices and improve efficiencies to lower costs. Mediware's customers include prestigious hospitals, clinics, correctional institutions, blood centers and other public and private health care institutions throughout the world. For more information about Mediware products and services, visit our web site at [ www.mediware.com ].
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Act") and in releases made by the SEC from time to time. Such forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2008, which may cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update its forward-looking statements.
