Wireless Connectivity Transforms Point-of-Care (POC) Blood Glucose Testing in Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

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 BMS responsible for POC testing within 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.”

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 is 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 quality control centrally. Centralised calibration of glucose meters 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.”

“Operator training is also improved using cobas academy, the e-learning tool available through cobas IT 1000,” Tracey continues. “This allows us to keep a central record of competency and only trained and authorised operators can access meters using a unique password. Trained operators receive a certificate and are informed by the system when recertification is due. All of this saves valuable time and helps us to demonstrate compliance with CPA guidelines.”

The Accu-chek Inform II meters and cobas IT 1000 have helped the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to meet their objectives for POC blood glucose testing:

• To implement a system that will assure patients and staff that the POC glucose meters are well maintained and fully functional with high quality results at all times; and
• To move the Trust’s glucose meters to full connectivity in order to provide increased safety for patients and a fully robust system.

For further information about Accu-Chek Inform II and cobas IT 1000 please visit the Roche website at the company article page.