Patient safety has become one of healthcare's foremost concerns, with the prevention of medication errors in acute care settings taking priority. In order to prevent medication errors at the bedside, hospitals follow specific codes of care like the "The Five Patient Rights" to guarantee that the "right patient" receives the "right drug at the right time in the right dose through the right route". These codes can only be followed with a proper bar code scanning solution.
Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) systems are quickly becoming a healthcare standard for helping prevent errors through proper patient and medication verification. During bedside scanning, bar code systems can also be used for EMR (Electronic Medical Records) management applications. Automatically updating patient health records as activities are performed allows medical professionals to save time, avoid opportunities for error and assist in other processes such as patient billing and pharmaceutical ordering.
When used in bedside patient care, equipment and devices must be regularly cleaned to limit the spread of germs in order to provide the best patient care and protect employees in direct contact with infected patients. Datalogic specifically addresses this need with ‘Disinfectant-Ready' enclosures designed with special silver ion-based additives to withstand daily cleaning with harsh disinfectant chemical solutions. This allows the scanner to be safely cleaned to effectively fight against germs and bacteria without the plastic enclosure degrading overtime.

	Patient Identification and Medication Verification Most hospitals are bound to a specific "Code of Care" to prevent errors when administering medications to patients at the bedside. A critical component to these systems is bar code scanners which automatically capture data from both the patient and the medication to ensure a ‘Perfect Match'. Today, scanners are often required by hospitals for this application. They become the perfect ‘mediator' between the medical staff and the patient to prevent unnecessary medical emergencies.
	Silent Scanning Hospitalized patients require around-the-clock care and often require treatment during the night or after a procedure. Bar code scanners are constantly working in these environments, yet the good-read ‘beep' from the scanner can disturb these patients. To address this issue, hospitals are using Datalogic's patented Green Spot technology for silent scanning. When the scanner is silenced, the operator receives additional visual feedback via a ‘green spot' directly on the scanned code, eliminating the need for audio confirmation. This technology is critical for safety and improves the quality of care for patients.
	Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Management Medical professionals often update patient records in ‘batches' to save time; however, untimely data entry puts patients at risk to decision making based on outdated information. By using bar code readers for automatic data capture, nurses can quickly and accurately update patient EMRs in real-time, while simultaneously performing patient care activities. Automatic data capture in this application enhances the productivity and timeliness of the medical staff while eliminating the opportunity for human error and poor decision making, which can have very serious consequences.
	Prescription Ordering Medical professionals can assist in prescription ordering by using bar code scanners to send orders faster and with more accuracy. When a medication label is scanned, the patient's EMR is updated and the pharmacy can be automatically notified of low or new prescription orders. Data captured from bar code readers can also be sent to a retail pharmacy upon doctor's approval improving the overall efficiency of prescription ordering and error-proofing the ordering process to ensure patients receive the correct medication.
	Patient Billing To avoid disputes with patients and insurance companies, scanners can be used to create accurate and timely patient billing statements. In fact, a comprehensive patient billing statement can be created while care is being giving at the bedside through automatic updates made to the patient's EMR by the medical staff working with the patient. Linking the patient's bill directly to their EHR allows the statement to be developed quickly and accurately, avoiding redundant tasks otherwise performed by the administration department.