Kaiser Permanente's Panorama City Hospital Goes Live With Medication Bar Code Scanning
In an effort to enhance patient safety, Panorama City Hospital, a Kaiser Permanente (KP) care facility operating in Southern California has become the first KP hospital to implement medication bar code scanning. The current implementation is part of the final phase of installation of KP HealthConnect at Panorama City.
Using this technology, physicians at Panorama can access the bar coded medication information on the patient's wristband from the bedside KP HealthConnect computer terminal, confirming the accuracy of the medication type and dosage. KP HealthConnect, a comprehensive EMR designed to enhance patient safety and quality care went live at the Panorama City hospital in September 2007. The final phase of the implementation at Panorama will also include computerized physician order entry, tools to access electronic lab tests, x-rays, MRIs, clinical documentation, scheduled operating rooms, operating room equipment, and room setup.
Kaiser Permanente has signaled its intention to deploy HealthConnect across all its hospitals and health plan operations connecting 8.6 million people with their healthcare teams. Members will also have access to their personal health data and up-to-date medical information. The EMR will connect physician practices, hospitals, radiology and laboratory departments, and pharmacy. By the end of 2009, all KP hospitals across South California are expected to go live with the medication bar code technology.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health maintenance organization serves more than 6.1 million members across the State of California. About 3.3 million KP members in South California receive care services from more than 6,000 physicians and nearly 50,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers at 12 major medical centers throughout South California. Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, which employs nearly 4000 physicians and staff, has been providing healthcare to the East San Fernando Valley residents since 1962.
SOURCE: Kaiser Permanente