Updated June 08, 2015.
What is an Electronic Vitals Documentation System?
Welch Allyn's Connex® Electronic Vitals Documentation System sends patient vital sign data from the bedside to an electronic medical record wirelessly.
The unit includes:
- a vital signs monitor (Welch Allyn has branded it their Connex® Vital Signs Monitor, "VWM")
- Welch Allyn's Connex Vitals Management Software (This is their proprietary software program that integrates the patient's vital signs data to the electronic medical record.)
- Accessory Cable Management Stand (provides storage for accessories and Welch Allyn's cable management system)
- The Welch Allyn Partners in Care Services program (Welch Allyn remains engaged with the medical team using the Connex system by providing support services that include installation, integration, and a service tool that enables remote diagnostics of devices)
Physical Aspects
The Connex® Vital Signs Monitor mounts to the top of the Accessory Cable Management Stand. The stand is mobile with a recognizable 5-star base found on many IV poles today. This helps keep the footprint fairly small, an important feature for any medical supply or equipment device because it helps reduce the chance of patients or staff members tripping on the feet at the base, and as hospital real estate shrinks and becomes ever-more competitive for floor space, the smaller devices will typically have an advantage over their physically larger competitors.
Ingenuity in Design
Obviously the purpose of this article is only to "inform" readers of what's available on the market, rather than "sell" the device to you, but here are some feature and benefit claims that Welch Allyn makes that warrant your attention and evaluation.
Ergonomics.
- "Small footprint, easy to maneuver"
- "Comfortable working height"
- "On-board LED lighting aids vision in dark rooms without disturbing the patient"
Infection Prevention.
- "Cleaning wipes onboard encourage use"
- "Rounded interior corners and bin openings"
- "Modular design"
- The vital signs monitor is built with no knobs or buttons, and instead uses a touch-screen, to make it easier to keep clean. Buttons and knobs create more crevices where microbes prime for cross-contamination can hide and avoid a cleaner's wipe.
Organization.
- "Every system component has its own carefully designed storage compartment"
- "Easy identification and quick access"
- "Cable routing minimizes tangling and damage"
Where and How the Welch Allyn's Connex® Electronic Vitals Documentation System is Used
The vital signs monitor can perform the following functions on a single screen:
- Spot-Check Vitals
- Monitoring
- Triage
Staff members can also control parameters such as alarms, interval programs, and data filtering and sorting. And what I find invaluable in virtually any medical device is a feedback feature that confirms that the product did complete the action it was instructed to do. For the Welch Allyn Electronic Vitals Documentation System, staff receive on screen visual confirmation that the vitals record transmitted successfully to the patient's electronic medical record.
Other Key Capabilities
Welch Allyn's Connex® Electronic Vitals Documentation System includes two-way wireless communication between the electronic medical record and the vital signs monitor and software. The patient identification number enhances security and accuracy so that staff can confirm they have the correct information tagged for the correct patient.
The monitor and software allows for comprehensive patient documentation, reducing the need for a separate bedside computer, usually wall-attached or rolled in on yet another mobile cart.
Numerous HIPAA information privacy features are built-in to the system as well, such as abbreviations, symbols, and screen blackouts. And power management was thought out too so that battery-life and a medical-grade power cord balance the energy load and extend the usability life for this end-to-end system.