Instrument Tracking Systems

[Sharon Chase]

I am looking for a tracking system. I would like to hear which company you have sucess with and also ones that have been problematic. Thank you for your responses.

[Harvey Johnson]

Hi Sharon,
You are asking the equivalent of a what's better question, a Ford or a Chevy?
Any system will have it's supporters as well as it's glitches and is only as good as the company support behind it.
You will have to shop and decide what type of system features will work best for your size of department. You might begin by checking with your current instrument vendors, many have aligned themselves with tracking system companies and may offer you a substantial discount over the "rack rate".
Stryker is aligned with Rosebud, TRE repair is aligned with Applied Technologies, Cardinal has the Impress system, Aesculap has an instrument management system, Censis has Censitrac, SPM has a system, Piling has trakker PRO, Alex Gold and TGX medical systems all offer their own features and benefits.
Try googling each one, asking for information and a referral to a current customer the same size as your department. As you narrow down your list, site visits may help with your decision.
Systems are constantly improving and becoming more user friendly. Hand held touch screens, mouse and keyboard free designs are becoming more refined as well as integration with sterilizer equipment to eliminate steps and paperwork are becoming more commonplace in tracking system designs.
I have been shopping systems for a few years, but because the holders of the purse strings keep pusing back my request, I have had to wait. The benefit of this seems to be, each month I have to wait, the systems become more refined and user friendly!
Good luck with your search, I hope you can find a system to meet your needs!
Harv

[niteowl]

Hi,
I presently use the ABACUS system from Applied Logic. It is great and the support personnel are very friendly. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

[Sharon Chase]

How long have you had the system? How large is your operating room? Do you have cooperation from the OR nurses? How many terminals do you have and do you have one in decontamination.

Thank you so much for responding.

[Jean Dulany, RN, CRCST]

We are preparing to venture into the world of instrument tracking with Lawson SIMS. Anyone out there using this system? I have not seen a demonstration but will be the one educating the staff. Any comments????

[cpdguy]

i do not sell a system. As somebody else stated, you have many to look at each different.
One I have seen an like is called TRIOLOGy, it is excellent when it comes to being CS centered in what it has to do. i would look at that system.

[Angelique S.]

I work at Reid Hospital in Richmond, IN...a relatively small hospital in a relatively small town. We have 232 beds, and we run 8 surgery rooms. However, we are soon making a move to a brand new facility (YEAH!!) and the surgeries will jump dramatically. We have 9 terminals running this software in SP, including the terminal in decontam. We've used TGXMedical's Alex Gold system for about two years now, and I couldn't be happier. I agree with Mr. SPD Soup that the most important thing you can look for in a system is follow-up and support. TGX has been incredible when it comes to helping us after the sale. I work second shift, and more often than not, when I call late at night for help, I get the head of the tech support department to help me with my problem. Their service has been flawless. Whenever we come up with some feature that "we wish we had in the system already", they invariably either show us where in the system to get what we have overlooked or they begin building that feature for us. So, we know they will be able to help us far into the future, and we won't have to worry about trying to get the money for another tracking system down the road sometime. That's always a fun process, don't you agree? Of course, they have all the traditional features of a tracking system that you might need-instrument tracking, tray checklists, repair tracking, proper cleaning tecnique info, etc. So, anyway, I kinda like the system....just in case you hadn't figured that out yet. It sure beats the card catalog system we had here before! :) If you want to talk anymore about it, just let me know!

[Rod Brueggeman]

Our hospital was a beta sight for the development of SIM. We had a great deal of input in the development of the product so of course I am very pleased with how the system works. The system is also integrated with Mobile Par and Cycle for the distribution area. We had gowing/development pains but now I can say it has been wonderful to say the least. I can track productivity, create reports, scan sterilization, track movement, and much more. You can contacgt me at 608-775-3899 for more info or why not visit.

[jdeverges]

We are using Abacus by Applied Logic, it is user friendly for the staff, their support staff is good, and response time appropriate. We currently have 18 operating rooms. I agree with the above statements that you need to look at all systems. We like this one because of the touchscreen application, and staff don't have to work a keyboard or mouse, taking up more room on the prep and pack tables.