Zebra Technologies Corporation has announced that the Truman Medical Centers, an academic health system in Kansas City, selected Zebra’s TC51-HC mobile computer running Cerner Corporation’s CareAware Connect™ solution to streamline care-team communications and clinical workflows designed to increase patient safety through more efficient and effective care.

Truman Medical Centers are comprised of 51 clinics, including two inpatient facilities and a level-one trauma center. To serve the half a million annual visits they receive, nursing staff members previously carried five devices to do their jobs. Today, the nurses carry the TC51-HC mobile computer equipped with CareAware Connect to deliver more efficient and effective bedside care. The staff identified significant time-saving benefits from the deployment of the TC51-HC, which allows caregivers more time to focus on their patients. Nurses are taking 48 percent fewer steps than prior to implementing CareAware Connect on the TC51-HC. Also, time spent disinfecting communication equipment has decreased from 10 minutes to 1 minute.

Josh Lowery, Senior Director & Solutions Executive, CareAware Connect, Cerner “Zebra and Cerner collaborated to provide Truman Medical Centers with a solution that replaces five devices with a single communications platform. CareAware Connect helps deliver near-real-time clinical information at the bedside, which can improve the patient experience and drive quality outcomes.”

According to Zebra’s The Future of Healthcare: 2022 Hospital Vision Study a lack of real-time patient health information at the bedside is the biggest barrier to achieving optimal patient care in hospitals globally. Additionally, 67 percent of nurse managers credit clinical mobility with improving staff communication, collaboration and quality of patient care.

By replacing the “nurse toolbelt” (pagers, cameras, laptops and scanning devices) with the TC51-HC mobile computer and CareAware Connect, caregivers can communicate with physicians, family members and other healthcare staff, pull up patient records and critical data and capture high-quality pictures of wounds or other medical issues, all without leaving the patient’s bedside.

Amy Peters, CNO, Truman Medical Centers “Zebra’s TC51-HC mobile computers have transformed the workflow of the bedside nurse by putting a safeguard in each of their hands, which can help reduce medical errors. Our caregivers can now better focus on the patient and their needs because CareAware Connect has provided them with better visibility into their operations and allows them on-demand access to relevant patient information.”

The TC51-HC helps reduce the risk of medical errors by supporting multiple patient safety applications. Nurses can scan patient identification wristbands to validate medication administration, collect specimens, track mother’s milk and ensure patients receive the right blood type prior to a transfusion. The TC51-HC mobile computer features purpose-built housing using special plastics that can withstand the rigors of modern infection control procedures. Its advanced data capture capabilities allow healthcare providers to scan barcodes in virtually any condition. It also offers an ultra-high-resolution, rear-facing camera and front-facing camera enabling remote consultation for quicker service.

Truman Medical Centers also selected Zebra’s QLn220 mobile printer, HC100 desktop printer and the ZT230 tabletop printer and media for printing high-quality barcoded patient wristbands and asset and specimen labels at fast speeds for accurate patient and asset tracking.

Chris Sullivan, Global Healthcare Practice Lead, Zebra Technologies “The global healthcare industry is increasingly turning to clinical mobility technology and automation to improve complex workflows and address highly administrative demands and inaccurate or incomplete information that can create barriers between caregivers and patients. Zebra’s TC51-HC connects the right patient to the right care, providers to essential patient information, and caregivers to colleagues. Ultimately, it’s designed to prevent medical errors, improve patient outcomes and enhance workflow efficiency.”