During the height of the COVID pandemic, we were brought face to face with many of the most common issues within our healthcare system. These generally were not new issues, but the pandemic brought them to the forefront. No longer could we ignore the issues or postpone finding meaningful solutions.
One of the most pressing problems has been availability of supplies, and speed in day to day practices. These two issues are actually much more intertwined as one might imagine. For instance, many times lab specimens get rejected, blood expires, and other supplies become waste due to the time sensitive nature of these items.
Another problem is that staff spend hours of wasted time transporting labs, blood, pharmaceuticals, and other items, instead of being able to use this time to treat patients. The issue of time is massive and needs a speedy solution.
Fortunately, such a solution is already available and is in full use in some hospitals. The pneumatic tube system transports items via carrier. The system has been around since the 19th Century, and is commonly used in banks, pharmacies, and some hospitals. However, it isn’t yet seeing widespread use in hospitals, and it’s definitely time for these facilities to embrace this time saver.
Pneumatic tube systems can easily be installed within the walls of the facility. Carrier terminals are located throughout the hospital, and a carrier can reach the furthest points in under 5 minutes. This is incredibly fast when compared to the time it takes for a staff member to walk the same distance.
Not only are pneumatic tubes able to save time, but they increase the safety of transport and they reduce the possibility of contamination or errors.
In the post pandemic world, new standards and preventative measures make speed, accuracy, and safety even more important. Pneumatic tube systems answer all of these concerns. Hospitals who already have these systems in place report sending more than seven thousands carriers every single day. That’s thousands of steps saved by staff and many hours added to time for actual patient care.
When the solutions to the most common problems are readily available, there’s no other real option than to put them in place and keep moving forward. Pneumatic tube systems are trusted and easily installed. In 2022, every hospital should have this system in place and functioning at full capacity.
Pneumatic tube systems are the future of in-hospital transport.
Source: Swisslog Healthcare