By Andrea Hargraves 
Effective management of Hospital infections It is always a big challenge for the healthcare ecosystem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 7% of patients in developed countries and 15% in developing countries develop at least one nosocomial infection during hospitalization. In Brazil, it is estimated that up to 14% of people treated in hospitals suffer from this problem. In intensive care unit settings, this type of infection can affect up to 30% of hospitalized patients.
Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective control of infection points to ensure quality management in the healthcare sector. Among many initiatives to mitigate risks, the Hospital Infection Control Committee, which is responsible for monitoring potential infection outbreaks, uses health quality management techniques, facilitating data collection and transforming direct patient care.
Among them, the electronic patient record stands out (Beep). By allowing alerts to be programmed according to these protocols, this technology allows all recorded information to be closely monitored by the entire care team, receiving daily reminders in the system or through devices such as mobile phones and tablets.
“This technology ensures safety in healthcare in its three aspects: for the patient, the healthcare professional and the institution,” explains Valmir Jr., Director of the Hospital Business Unit at M.V.
Also through the electronic medical record, the system can notify healthcare professionals of patients who, for example, have a fever for a certain period or show signs of phlebitis, conditions that may indicate an early indicator of hospital infection, allowing teams to take preventive measures. This alert of possible patient entry into an infectious focus is also forwarded so that CCIH can carry out appropriate audits and monitoring.
PEP also contributes to solutions such as controlling the exchange of invasive medical devices, monitoring vital functions, rapid access in real time, and accelerating the process of making important decisions so that patients with infectious conditions can be transported, in order to provide greater care and preserve the lives of other patients.
Smart medical devices enable medical teams to identify potential sources of infection early and implement preventive measures more quickly and effectively. This also helps in identifying early outbreaks and implementing proactive strategies to contain the spread of these infections.
“The electronic patient record plays a key role in improving the quality of care in the hospital, providing a more integrated, efficient and secure approach to patient care,” Valmier Jr. adds.