The first successful application of RFID in the management of surgical device packages in a Chinese hospital-Interview with PLA General Hospital and AVIC Core Control Technology

AVIC Core Control is a technology integration company specializing in RFID application engineering. After nearly a year of hard work, it has recently completed the first application of RFID in a surgical device package in a hospital. It is the sacred duty of the hospital to treat patients and save lives. It is not the patient’s life that is directly related to the management of surgical device packages. Without thorough and safe performance guarantees, new technologies such as RFID cannot be applied to such sensitive links. . How to use RFID to realize the management of surgical device packages and what is the practical significance of this management? With these questions, our reporter visited the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital (referred to as 301 Hospital) and interviewed AVIC Core Control, which is responsible for this project. Mr. Xu Wei, the chief architect of RFID, and Wang Huasheng, the head nurse of the hospital’s central supply room. First of all, the reporter asked Mr. Xu, who often works on the hospital site, about the process of surgical kit management. He obtained a master’s degree from Tsinghua University and worked at the RFID Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for two years. He is unwilling to just do theory. The passionate young people who research and are willing to work in the forefront of engineering are growing into RFID experts.

Reporter: First of all, congratulations on your successful application of RFID to surgical device packages. Can you tell our readers how do you use RFID on surgical kits?

Xu Wei: There are more than 50,000 hospitals in China, of which more than 30,000 are Grade A hospitals. Almost every hospital has the ability to perform large or small operations. The surgical instruments are supplied by the supply room. The supply room collects used surgical instruments, cleans them, sorts them, packs them, and strictly disinfects them before providing them to new operations. In this process, due to the lack of necessary means to manage, there are problems such as high labor intensity, inaccurate monitoring, unsanitary recording paper flowing into the operating room, and the inability of relevant units to define responsibilities after an accident. We learned about this situation from the relevant departments and on the basis of obtaining the consent of the 301 hospital leaders, we began to explore the application of our successful experience in similar situations in the management of surgical kits. For each type of operation, there is a standard surgical bag containing the device. Although the types of surgical bags are different, the common thing is that each bag has a common cloth “label” with the type of surgical bag printed on it. We installed a small cloth pocket in the corner of this tag, and the pocket contains an electronic tag. And each label contains many data such as the number of instruments in the standard bag and the date of disinfection, which is equivalent to giving an ID card to the surgical bag. This data can be used throughout the process. You can also add data in the process at any time. This is equivalent to creating a file for each surgical kit. In this way, if there is any error, the responsibility can be distinguished, and the cost settlement can be carried out at any time when the settlement is carried out at the end of the month or the end of the year. It can also be cleared and counted based on the collected information.

Sewing various surgical bag cloth labels

Reporter: There is a disinfection process in the process, please introduce how to use RFID to ensure the quality of disinfection.

Xu Wei: Disinfection is performed after the equipment is packaged. We mainly record the disinfection time and the temperature and pressure of the disinfection room. The whole disinfection process is established as a graph to check and save the curve data, so that it can be easily inquired. When disinfecting the pot, our system will judge whether the package is qualified based on the data we collected, so as to avoid the unqualified package from going out. In the past, surgical kits had to be affixed with reagent paper on the front and back sides of the kit before disinfection. After disinfection, the test paper changed the color, and the color change was used to check whether the disinfection was accurate. However, the color changes are more subtle, and sometimes it is difficult to use color to illustrate the problem. The pressure and temperature sensors that we install on the sterilization container can record all the temperature and pressure change curves during the sterilization process, which can indicate whether the sterilization composition is correct. Then record these data into the electronic label. In addition, the above two test papers are worth 1 yuan. Large hospitals like 301 Hospital need to sterilize surgical kits hundreds of thousands of times each year. RFID alone can reduce trial production costs by hundreds of thousands of yuan and reduce the amount of time spent on sticking test papers.

Reporter: Can other related records be made by using electronic tags during disinfection?

Xu Wei: In the above cleaning and disinfection process, we can do a lot of relevant data records. After recycling the used equipment, it must be cleaned first, and then distributed and packaged according to the standard configuration of each package, the label data is cleared, and new information is entered. For example, packing date, packing personnel, etc., so that staff performance appraisal can be facilitated. After packaging, it is sent to the sterilization pot for disinfection. After it comes out, it is first tested to see if it is qualified, and then the disinfection time and personnel information are recorded. Because the sterilization kit has a shelf life, it is generally specified as a shelf life of 14 days. Put it into the sterile room after disinfection to avoid secondary pollution. Then wait for the department to receive it. The reader is also used to scan when it is issued, so that it can be determined whether the package is within the validity period, and the security of the package can be more effectively guaranteed. If it has not been used for more than 14 days, the database will prompt. Then take it back to repack and disinfect.

Set the position of the electronic label on the cloth label

Reporter: Disinfection in the sterilizer requires high pressure, high temperature, and high humidity. During the entire disinfection process, the electronic label is always on the surgical bag. Will this not affect the performance of the electronic label?

Xu Wei: The electronic tags we use are resistant to high temperature and pressure, the temperature can reach 143 degrees Celsius, and the pressure can reach 3 atmospheres. We have carried out a fatigue test for more than a month for the label, so there is no problem. We tested more than a dozen kinds of labels, and finally selected this applicable label.

Reporter: How much of the label is used?

Xu Wei: It depends on the size of the hospital. 301 Hospital currently uses 5,000 surgical kits, and it may add another one to two thousand by the end of the year.

Reporter: Before RFID was put into use, how did the hospital manage the use of surgical kits?

Xu Wei: At that time, I relied on paper for records. Because recording on paper is extremely inconvenient and unsanitary, the use of RFID has played a role in reducing labor intensity and improving the medical environment.

Reporter: Do you need to perform data management after the surgical kit is in the operating room?

Xu Wei: The operating room is also an important part of the RFID system. It is also necessary to confirm the data of the surgical kit in the operating room, and the doctor also needs to know the instruments and quantity inside. In addition, after any problems encountered during the operation, the surgical kit should be traced first, and then the relevant personnel can be traced, so that performance appraisal and accountability can be held, and it is also conducive to the transparent management of superior units.

Reporter: You have done so much fruitful work, how do your peers evaluate you?

Xu Wei: We just participated in the 3rd Nursing Society held in Chengdu in November. The head nurse of 301 Hospital also gave an application speech. The response from major hospitals across the country was relatively large and surprising. Many remodeled hospitals across the country want to introduce RFID surgical kit management systems to their supply rooms.

Reporter: In addition to the management of surgical kits, do you have any other plans for the application of RFID in hospitals?

Xu Wei: The most important piece of our current is the surgical kit in the hospital’s supply room, as well as the sterilization management of the maternal and infant system and hospital beds. There are also some directional issues, such as the regional management of medical waste, the management of wards, the management of mobile assets and fixed assets, and so on.

Reporter: You have done and are doing so much work. It can be seen that the initial investment is quite huge. RFID is a new thing in the internal management of the hospital. The project execution party is often required, that is, you have to invest in the development of AVIC. So where did your initial investment from Bank of China Core Control come from?

Xu Wei: Funding is multifaceted, and our shareholders are both in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Shareholders are most optimistic about the feasibility of our project’s application purpose and solution. Because they think it is feasible, so we get a lot of funds, which is one of the main conditions for our success.

Reporter: Because of your success, and you have received such praise in the medical care industry, it is very likely that this will lead to the large-scale application of RFID in hospitals. Business affairs are sometimes very complicated. You have made a lot of investment and made great efforts. However, many other businesses have followed suit in application, making the interests of the pioneers unable to protect. This is a big risk in the RFID industry, which in turn dampens the pioneers. Positivity.

Xu Wei: Yes, we have made such a huge investment, so we must protect ourselves and the interests of investors. We have declared a patent for our core technology. Password protection has been made in the software system, so that those who illegally want to “clone” our system have no chance to take advantage of it. In addition, we believe that any project and project have a “brand effect”. If we do well and get everyone’s praise, we will not only be technically on the “brand” of the 301 Hospital, one of the few major hospitals in the country. Will make hospital users optimistic about us.

Mr. Xu’s answer to the reporter satisfied our understanding of the first application of RFID in the hospital in terms of technology and implementation. In order to further confirm the successful application of the RFID system in the management of surgical kits, we visited the head nurse Wang in the supply room of the 301 hospital. Miss. The head nurse joined the army after graduating from high school and came to this hospital. He has been working in nursing for 30 years. She knows everything about the supply room and other related businesses.

Reporter: What role does RFID electronic tag management device package play for the business process of the central supply room?

Head Nurse Wang: We are the first company to use this product in China. At least the tracking system and corresponding management system information of the device package can be collected. It can help us manage things that we were confused about in the past. The entire process from the recycling, cleaning, packaging, sterilization, and distribution of the entire device package can be traced back to time, personnel, location, quantity, price, and even the information required by the manager at all levels, which can be collected. For example, if the Finance Department wants to know the current usage of the entire supply, it can limit the date from a certain day to a certain day, and then all relevant data can be obtained. For example, we have to count the workload every month, and managers can see all relevant management information from the computer with just a click of the mouse. In addition, if there is a dispute between a relevant clinical department and our supply room, saying that there is a problem with the supply or quantity of this package, or if a problem is found with the date of use, he can enter the date of the device package and download it from the hospital network When the bag was produced, when it was taken, and how long it was left with them, you can judge who caused the expiration, and the responsibility appraisal and management appraisal can be easily defined. As a manager, I want to know the status of everyone’s work, and I want to know who recycles the package, so that it can be clear at a glance from the transmitted data. You can retrieve the information you need from different levels. Another is the user. If the patient has an infection, I can check which day it was packaged, when it was sterilized, the status of the sterilization, etc. through the bag used by the patient, so that I can confirm it. The responsibility is the supply room or the ward or operating room. Another advantage is that each has clarified responsibilities, as long as it is recorded in the card, anyone who wants to tamper with it can’t change it.

Reporter: How many packets are sent from here 24 hours a day?

Head Nurse: We go out nearly 400 to 450 packages every day. Our second-line departments must serve the first-line departments. In this state, we must ensure the supply and keep the workload records and statistics at home.

Reporter: Have you ever thought about making some expansions for this system in the future to make it more perfect?

Head Nurse: After this product is ready, it can be applied to the hospital logistics of medical supplies. For example, in the next step of bed cleaning, if you put the chip on the bed, you can know when the bed was cleaned, when it was disinfected and sterilized, and how long it took for the patient. You can provide the data to the director of the nursing department to remind them to pay attention.

Reporter: You just mentioned the internal logistics of the hospital. Many of them are reflected in the management of devices. Do you have any thoughts on the management of drugs and patients?

Head Nurse Wang: For example, if you attach an electronic chip to the medicine and check the record on the chip before the patient uses it, you can check whether the bed number is correct, and the patient can take the medicine safely and correctly. There is still a problem that we are exposed to the patient’s identity, age, occupation, etc. on the book hanging on the bedside. If we use the RFID system to record the records of these patients, then we can send each patient a wristband, and only the medical staff can see the relevant data through the reading head, so that the patient’s privacy can not be exposed. The result of this can also correct the situation that some people cannot be treated fairly because of the status of a certain patient, and create a harmonious environment in the ward. Another advantage is that it provides convenience for patients when changing beds. In addition, the location of the patient in the hospital can also be tracked. It avoids the situation that the patient cannot be found in an emergency.

Reporter: After listening to your introduction, I feel that 301 Hospital not only has strict management of equipment and equipment, but also its personnel. Compared with other domestic hospitals, can it be said that the management of 301 Hospital is the most formal?

Head Nurse Wang: Our hospital has both serious military management and humanized management of medical services. Although the management requirements are different in various fields, we are strict in the management of services for patients, such as equipment and personnel. The hospital regularly trains medical staff, regularly conducts random inspections, and takes regular examinations, and adopts a responsibility system for nursing care. . The hiring of new employees has become more stringent recently. Nurses must be nursing students from undergraduate colleges. The contract system is adopted at the beginning. After three months, they will decide whether to stay or not according to whether they meet the requirements. We can’t talk about the “most formal”. The Ministry of Health requires all hospitals to do this. “The ruler is short and the inch is long.” It cannot be said that any aspect of 301 Hospital is the best. But I am confident to say that the medical equipment of 301 Hospital is the most advanced, of course, including the newly completed RFID system. The medical level of 301 Hospital is first-class in the country.

Coming out of 301 Hospital, I recalled Mr. Xu and Head Nurse Wang’s introduction to my country’s first hospital application of RFID, which made the reporter feel deeply that only hospitals with strict management such as 301 Hospital can eagerly hope to use advanced technology. Improve hospital management and various medical procedures. Only those medical staff like Head Nurse Wang who work diligently on the front line of “rescuing the dying and healing the wounded” can sincerely accept and maintain this new technology and cooperate with AVIC Core Control as a baby Take good care of this system.

Yes, RFID is science. Its scientificity is developed by technicians like Mr. Xu and maintained by users like Head Nurse Wang. Without such a big environment, the application of RFID cannot be successful. I sincerely hope that the application of RFID will thrive in the hands of these people who admire “science” just like newborn babies.