GS1 US releases point-of-care scanning for surgical implants implementation guidance

GS1 US has published an implementation guidance, titled “Point-of-Care Scanning for Surgical Implants,” to help healthcare providers electronically capture unique device identifier data for surgical implants at the point-of-care (POC). This can include scanning of medical device product barcodes in the operating room, at the patient’s bedside, or anywhere a healthcare professional is administering care – helping to ensure the right device is used at the right time for the right patient, and that the patient’s record reflects the correct device identification.

The implementation guidance was developed by the GS1 Healthcare US Point of Care Scanning Workgroup with input from healthcare providers implementing GS1 Standards for POC scanning and solution providers of associated supporting systems, including electronic health records (EHRs), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and device inventory management systems.

The Workgroup examined key aspects of POC scanning projects, gathered implementation insights and lessons learned, and identified key considerations to plan an implementation project, such as data readiness (data acquisition/sources, data storage and data flow) and system readiness (hardware and software readiness, and interoperability).

To download the “Point-of-Care Scanning for Surgical Implants” guideline, visit www.gs1us.org/POCscanning.

For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org.