Why Excel Medical is the next gen of MDI innovation

Excel Medical (Excel), the company that brought the Next-Generation Medical Device Integration (MDI) solution into action, has announced that Massachusetts-based Southcoast Health has deployed Excel's BedComm platform to facilitate medical device data integration between the health system's 47 operating room anesthesia monitors and its new electronic health record (EHR). Excel's initial remit, which is currently being implemented, covers all operating rooms in Southcoast Health's three acute-care hospitals and surgery center, including all labor and delivery ORs.

Like many hospitals and medical centers, Southcoast Health is confronting the challenges of effective capture, utilization, retention and communication of high-value patient data. Its recent EHR deployment underscores an immediate need for device connectivity in the health system. Recognizing they needed a system-wide solution that would gather key monitoring data from OR anesthesia machines and deliver that data seamlessly into their EHR interface, Southcoast undertook a process to identify the right partner solution. Ultimately, the health system determined Excel's BedComm platform provided the best integration and functionality available for fulfilling their requirements and the selection was made.

'As a healthcare system, we are first and foremost patient-centric and patient safety centered,' said Scott LaRosa, Director of Clinical Systems for Southcoast Health. 'BedComm delivers multiple areas of value for us. Above all, it ensures that crucial data is where, and when, the anesthesia team needs it. This is fundamental to better decision-making and ultimately delivering better patient care.'

'We are excited to be working with Southcoast Health,' said Lance Burton, General Manager of Excel Medical. 'They are known to be a gold standard healthcare system, particularly in terms of patient safety and patient care. The results they're already experiencing from implementing our BedComm technology are just the beginning of remarkable things ahead as we continue our work together.'

'Next-Generation Medical Device Integration' is comprised of four components:

- Bedside Device Integration: Technology that automates the collection and documentation of patient vital signs and other bedside monitor data, reducing errors and giving clinicians access to the most accurate and timely patient data.

- Mobile Vitals Capture (MVC): BedComm MVC improves clinical workflows and documentation, and provides clinicians timely access to patients' current vital signs. The MVC combined with its CarePanel technology collect and integrate a hospital's vital signs monitors' data from medical surgical areas and deliver them to the EHR. This is accomplished by wirelessly transmitting the vital sign data across the hospital's existing wireless network using positive patient identification.

- Digital Cardiac Reports: Digitizes cardiac rhythm strips and alarm documentation across the clinical enterprise and integrates into the EHR. Makes reports instantly available for clinician review, while eliminating the laborious paper drive documentation process seen in most hospitals.

- Cardiac Monitor Access: Integrates Excel's BedMasterEx client application with the EHR giving clinicians access to patient monitoring waveforms, vital signs, and alarms with one click of a button.