Lateral built a custom iOS app for Hollywood Fertility Centre that slashed drug matching time by 50%, eliminated paperwork, and gave staff instant traceability for audits and recalls. Using simple QR scans, the app streamlines treatment tracking, improves stock control, and boosts efficiency across the clinic.
Fertility Management includes specialised consumables to prepare patients for assisted conception treatment. As this is a patient sensitive area, special care has to be taken. No patient is the same and needs a tailor-made treatment. Furthermore, as a legal requirement, HFC has to track whatever has been given to each patient.
HFC needs to be able to account for under/over supplies of specialised consumables, ensuring an adequate stock at all times and also avoiding overpayment to suppliers. After the supplies have arrived, each package has to be labelled with information such as content, batch number, expiry date and HFC’s address.
In order to track not only the supply of specialised consumables but also which of those has been given to which patient, a manual paper-based system had been in place. Information such as date of issue, quantity, batch number and expiry date had to be written down and signed off.
HFC searched for a technology based solution that would save time and improve productivity.
“We had a slow and laborious manual system before the advent of the Lateral Mobile App for matching and tracking drugs. The new system saves a lot of time and makes it easy to track drug usage.”
At Lateral, we developed a customised mobile app for HFC. After signing in on the app on an iPod Touch, the nurse scans the patients’ data via QR code, followed by the QR code on the specialised consumable’s packet. No handwriting is needed. The app then combines all information in the web-based database which can be accessed from a desktop computer as well. This assists audits as each field in the system can be analysed.
It can also be used in the unlikely event of a recall as batch numbers can easily be tracked and patients can be identified. In that respect, the app contributes to HFC’s risk management.
HFC is using an iPod Touch for the app; any other iOS device such as an iPhone or iPad could be used as well. The iPod Touch represents a thin, light and cheap, yet robust iOS device.
With the iPod app solution, HFC reduced the time to match patients’ data with specialised consumables’ data by 50%. It eliminated paperwork.
Furthermore, it improved their procurement as inconsistencies in supplies can be tracked and it ensures more accurate purchase forecasting.
HFC has been using the app for several months and staff are very satisfied with the results.
The next stage will be a batch capability, allowing a nurse to scan multiple drugs consecutively. This will allow even further time savings, contributing to improved workplace efficiency.
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