A new Virtual Pick List solution from Jump Technologies, a hospital supply chain solutions and analytics company, gives nurses and supply chain staff the power to streamline physician preference items.
Managing physician preference items is a daunting and time-consuming task for nurses, because traditional preference cards are perpetually outdated.
Virtual Pick List uses patent-pending machine learning technology to analyze case data from a hospital’s electronic medical record system and identify changes to the case pick list that accurately reflect what physicians use during procedures. The Virtual Pick List is printed prior to a case. Suggested changes are clearly marked, showing items that should not be picked, changes to open and hold quantities, as well as items that should be picked that are not currently on the preference card. This allows the person picking the case to follow the items and quantities suggested by Virtual Pick List, or to pick items as per the original pick ticket.
“Choice is good, and our Virtual Pick List solution gives nursing staff choices that are backed by the power of data and machine learning,” said John Freund, CEO, Jump Technologies. “By giving staff the option to work from their original pick list or to make changes based on actual usage data, Virtual Pick list gives hospitals a safe, easy way to protect valuable staff resources, reduce waste, and save money – all while solving the never-ending preference card dilemma.”
The machine learning algorithm that powers the Virtual Pick List identifies items that were actually used in a given case, which items were pulled but not used, and items that were requested during a procedure but that weren’t on the original pick list. This data is constantly monitored, allowing the Virtual Pick List system to make suggestions to the pick list as information changes over time. Virtual Pick Lists allow hospitals to:
• Save money by eliminating waste that is caused when items are picked and opened for a case, but not used.
• Help reduce staff stress and fatigue by freeing up valuable staff time, as nurses and supply chain staff pick only items that are actually used during a case.
• Eliminate the time and costs associated with preference card clean up by establishing a constant preference card monitoring system that recommends changes, when appropriate.
