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Automatic Identification and Data Capture
"The challenge for the NHS is to harness the information revolution and use it to benefit patients"
Rt Hon Tony Blair, July 1998
Information can provide a powerful tool for change. The capturing and analysis of information is an integral element of the Supplies service in equal measure to the other services. The vision is to move towards a fully integrated RFID and AIDC supply chain complete with patient data for track and trace.
The history of AIDC in the Trust is described below:
AIDC through PDA's for 270 materials management sites
Catheter Labs - bar coding at source
Radiology - track and trace using SPNet
Orthopaedics - working with Depuy towards RFID
Demand Management
Demand Management is primarily concerned with the processing of requests into purchase orders. In key areas this process is carried out by professional supplies staff to reduce the amount of time spent by clinical and nursing staff in the requisitioning process. In other areas we have identified our major customers who would benefit from remote electronic requisitioning. The aim is to segment our customer base according to need.
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Materials Management is essentially where customers agree that Supplies staff will manage their regular product requirements. This involves the maintenance of stock within a ward or department at agreed levels. Supplies staff requisition, put-away and rotate stock at regular intervals. |
Demand Management is a further development and includes
- Eliminates Nursing Time through professional supplies staff being responsible for all supplies
- Segmentation of Customers according to requirements
- Computerised inventory management for high value areas
- Materials Management
- Link to customers EPR or legacy systems
- E-requsitioning
- Logistics On-line
- Capture data using hand held devices, bar code readers and split data to produce automatic requisitions.
- Manage Product Formulary
- Best Value Route for the Trust
To download a copy of the best practice guide to materials management based on the Leeds experience in word format, please click here.
Inventory Control Systems
Computerised inventory control systems are in place in key high value areas within the Trust, such as the Catheter Labs and Radiology. These systems are integrated to Oracle Purchasing through the requisition Interface table, from which Requisition Import creates requisitions. The requisitions are imported with an approved status as they correspond to stock requisitions in the inventory control system. The systems currently in use within the Trust include:
Catheter Labs
There are 5 theatres, which deal with speciality heart treatments using catheter technology, and these are referred to as Cardiac Catheter labs. They are located together within The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, based at the Leeds General Infirmary site. These 5 catheter labs are supported and supplied by a theatre central store and the supplies team.
Catheter labs use both speciality products, which are high tech and high value, and general med/surgical products. The speciality products are stored within the main theatre central store supported by the supplies team. The general med/surgical products are supplied from a separate location, which is maintained and monitored by the materials management team.
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| Theatre Central stores | Stock within the Labs |
As part of the ‘e-Commerce in Action' programme at Leeds, the supplies team are continually working with suppliers and internal customers to improve the supply chain. One of the areas the supplies team have developed is the Catheter Labs, where bar code technology was introduced in October 2000..
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Within the arrangement the supplies team now manage the stock in the theatre central store. The clinicians take the products as required for the planned operations into the catheter labs, using the carousel trolleys, see above right, for high usage products. The free movement of catheters and stents within the lab environment enables the consultants to have immediate assess to the product range at the patients side. These products are still on stock in the inventory system until they are used during an operation, at which point they are immediately bar code scanned by the clinical staff (see photo left) to provide a “real time” picture of stock levels. |
The following are a list of benefits and savings, which have been achieved as a result of the new bar coding system and service arrangement.
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Stacey Hunter, Cardiac Cath Lab Manager says:
"The new barcode system in the Cardiac Cath Labs at Leeds Teaching Hospitals has helped make significant improvements to materials management. It is one of the largest centres in the UK and carries out around 5000 procedures per year. The range and value of stock that is needed to support this work is phenomenal and had always been very difficult to manage.
This system ensures that we have an easy to use and robust way of ensuring that this is done as effectively as possible. It has improved our understanding of many things about the trends in stock usage and enables the team to use this and other information to be more efficient.
In addition to this, it has freed up a lot of nursing time that was previously needed in a laborious paper based system. We work in very close conjunction with the material management team and have built good relationships, which help us all"
As recognition for the success and improvements of the ‘e-Commerce in Action' programme Leeds were rewarded with the ‘Improving Care with E-Technology' award at the 2003 Health Journal Awards.
For more information about the project and to download a copy in word format, please click here.
Radiology
The Radiology system is similar to the Catheter Lab model in that the items are scanned by clinicians after use. This data together with the attendance, procedure code and patient data can then be linked through the SPNet system developed in partnership with Sybase in Leeds.
The development of this software has been recognised by being named as a Laureate for the Computerworld Honors Program 2006. This is a very prestigious honour in recognition of the innovative use of technology. The awards ceremonies will be held on June 5 in Washington, DC.
Orthopaedics
We are currently working with DePuy on an AIDC project at our Chapel Allerton Orthopaedic Centre.
GS1
The Trust is part of the GS1 Healthcare User Group. For more details of this group click on http://www.gs1.org/hug/index.html
The objectives of the HUG are to:
- Work with key partners in the healthcare supply chain to develop and optimise the use of global standards to ensure accurate and fast movements of goods from manufacturer to distributor and healthcare provider as hospitals or public pharmacies.
- Facilitate awareness in the healthcare sector of new technologies and methods of doing e-business.
- Provide advice and recommendations to GS1 on issues and opportunities in the healthcare sector.
- Promote best practice implementation in the healthcare area including the whole product and service portfolio of GS1.
- Promote the implementation of GS1 voluntary, global business standards throughout the healthcare sector.
Members of the HUG
| Organisation | Representative |
| 3M | Alfons Rathmer, IT-Director Europe & MENA |
| Bernhard Geissler, Manager European Centers of Excellence Packaging Engineering | |
| Abbott | Steve Siers, Global IT Director |
| AEXXDIS | Jean-François Fusco, Supply Chain Director |
| Alcon Laboratories | Grant Hodgkins, Global Product Data Manager |
| AMGEN | Lewis T. Kontnik , Director, Brand Protection/Business Continuity |
| Astra Zeneca | John Morgan |
| B. Braun | Volker Zeinar, Global Supply Chain Expert |
| Baxter | Peter Tomicki, Global Packaging Engineer |
| Jerry White | |
| Bob Houin | |
| Uwe Klaener, Global e-commerce director | |
| BD | Dennis Black, Director e-Commerce |
| Dirk Damen | |
| Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH |
Rainer Kirch, CDept. International Logistics |
| Boston Scientific | Bill Cooley, Director, Global Supply Chain Programs |
| Cephalon | Brian Brown, Senior Manager Commercial Operations |
| Cook | Claes-H. Waller |
| EGA (European Generic Medicines Association) | Rene Kappers |
| GSK | Bruce Cohen, US Packaging Services |
| Kevin Gagnon | |
| Grupo Cofares | Luz Lewin Orozco, Technical and Quality Director |
| Hospira | Laurie Hernandez, Vice President of Strategic Marketing. |
| Brett Novak, Marketing Manager, Speciality Pharmaceuticals | |
| Johnson & Johnson | Tom Werthwine, Manager, AIDC Technology and Industry Standards |
| Ed Dzwill, PSGA Tech Ops - Manager Package development Pharmaceuticals and Biological Products | |
| Johnson & Johnson (Europe) | Janice Kite |
| Medtronic | Jackie Rae Elkin, Regulatory Compliance Manager |
| Merck | Stephen G. Hess |
| Jeffrey Seeley, Associate Director Distribution Packaging | |
| Merck Germany | Dr.Thorsten Clajus, Assistant Manager, Central Warehouse Department |
| Christina Schuetze, Supply Chain Management - New Products | |
| NACDS | Stephen Perlowski, VP Industry Affairs |
| NHS | Richard Haigh, Connecting for Health |
| Novartis Pharma AG | Scott Cameron, Head of GSCM Information Mgmt |
| Olympus Medical Systems |
Masakazu Gotanda, General Manager (R&D) |
| Pall Medical | Brian Stripp |
| Karen Peterson, Sr. Director, Global Labeling and Quality Services | |
| Pfizer | Rich Hollander, Senior Director, Global packaging |
| Mark Walchak, Senior Manager, Global Package Technology and Testing | |
| Pharmdata s.r.o. |
Josef Simacek |
| Premier Inc. | Joseph M. Pleasant, CIO |
| Procter & Gamble | Bob Weston |
| Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) | Camille Madeira |
| Liza Belzak | |
| Smiths Medical | Vaughan Hennum, Global Applications Manager |
| Jim Willmott, Group Labelling Manager | |
| St. Jude Medical | Bruno De Maeyer |
| Terumo | Jos Bouwen, HQ Administration Director |
| Fien Aerts, Manager Regulatory Affairs | |
| Toshiyuki Tsubonouchi, Logistics Manager | |
| Tyco Healthcare | Mandy Savino, Manager, Packaging Graphics, Kendall US & EMEA / Corporate |
| Mark Hoyle, European Packaging Tyco Healthcare | |
| Alyette Decieux | |
| Steve Capel, Director of eBusiness EMEA | |
| Kevin Mulligan | |
| University Hospital of Dijon | François Bisch, Logistics Director |
| University Hospital of Lyon | Pascal Mariotti |
| Wyeth | Ed Orme, Global Packaging Services |
| Thomas Pizzuto |