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#11084 18/04/06 1:43 PM
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I've recently written an application in MS Access to help manage our small medical equipment library. Our library is largely unattended and it allows users to check out and check in equipment as they borrow and ocassionally return it. It's designed to work with a barcode scanner and the computer keyboard and mouse can be hidden away so nobody can tamper with the computer.

It's probably not written perfectly some of it was a learning experience in Access and VB for me! It's partially tailor made to work here but it shouldn't be difficult to adapt to work in another environment. For example currently it uses an ODBC link to our medical equipment database SEMS to get a list of devices that are library devices.

It has some basic reports available such as show all devices on loan to an area, show all transactions between certain dates etc.

I was thinking of making it availabe for example as an Open Source project so others could make use of it and maybe even enhance it further. Would anybody be interested?

Andrea

#11085 18/04/06 2:10 PM
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Yes, Andrea, many of us are interested! We’re hoping that Huw will be able to sort out the downloading section soon, then perhaps we can get everyone’s coding efforts pinned up on the notice board, as it were. Personally, I believe that the biomed fraternity is as good an area as any in which to pursue the “open source” ideal. All information should be freely available, right? And there’s nothing like being judged by your peers, I can tell you. So yeah, let’s share! smile

#11086 30/04/06 6:25 AM
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Yes Geoff
Sharing ideas are always good.It is nice to see that open source software project ideas are coming up in the biomed areas it can always improve this sector with new ideas and movements and boost the biomeds and introduce more of them to the paperless records and PPMs
Regards
Sajeev

#11087 07/05/06 3:26 PM
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Also in France, we're interested

It's a good idea to share it ...

#11088 22/12/06 2:37 PM
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I don’t know if any of you have bought any Braun infusion devices, they have a free library data base for equipment libraries, haven't seen it yet but apparently it's ok


Two heads are better than one... well sometimes..
#11089 23/12/06 1:55 PM
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Sorry chaps. what a waste of time and effort. I suggest you put this past your Risk Management Committee, to see if they are prepared to take on a one man band software.

Shouldn't your IT sort this out with backup on a server? Are you aware of data security and data protection act of running databases on a single PC basis.

Do you get paid to manage Medical Equipment or develop software? This is a luxury that NHS can no longer offer to support.

Happy to be challenged.

Alex
Head of Medical Physics

#11090 28/12/06 1:11 PM
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Hey, Alex, thanks for putting the mockers on it, as usual.

You’re right if you mean that UK NHS biomeds should be managing and maintaining the equipment within their domain. But (as I’ve mentioned quite a few times before) not everyone on this forum works for the NHS! smile

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I dont work for NHS, and YES I am interested in the software for the records of service interventions on every piece of equipment we have in the Institute, and listing of the whereabouts of equipment since they very often move them from one site to another (pumps, infusomats etc.)
I strongly support the idea of shareing ideas and solutions among biomeds.

cheers
Milan

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I would personally consider an opensource / free software over NO SOFTWARE any day of the week, particularly if this would take the grunt out of the work required.

In the grand scheme of things, the risk management committee would probbably rank this towards the bottom of their plethura of Trustwide problems, there would be I assume a legacy paper based system to fall back upon if it all goes pear shaped.

Many good databases have begun as a one man show, inluding EMAT I believe which has now grown to a fully fledged suite of programs and modules.

Single PC's running databases on a Trust network can be backed up by IT if using shared drive space. Most computers nowadays have limited hard drive space virtually all storage is on the remote server side. Data security and the data protection act are normally comfortably managed by IT folder permissions to remove public view, and by using patient numbers rather than names the documents are desensitised.

Some members of staff might develop or improve software in their own time just for the benefit of the organisation, particularly a small application like the library. I have been fortunate enouge not to loose members of staff to 'development projects' in the past, but I suspect a number of establishments may have.

I would not welcome general development of software during valuable NHS time, however I see that there are times and places for its use in the management of medical devices and improvement in throughput.

Software for example could be the spreadsheet containng automated macros and formula to carry out budget analysis, key performance indicators, work output trends which may be a requirement of the job. I would not pull out my abacus and calculator but I know it could be done that way.

if taken further, software could include a basic library package used to mirror a legacy paperwork system.

So my feelings are that we are paid to manage Medical equipment, but part of that management may be to embrace limited use or minor development of IT based systems (or files in excel / access) to improve efficiency.

I would not allow time to be invested on a project that would not yield at least a time saving and reasonable performance or compliance improvement. Its up to us to draw those lines and stick to them.

Today, I was happily working away on something else whilst msaccess carried out thousands of manual calculatons on our job records to generate key performance indicators for our quality system. There is always a fall back, but would I wish to fall back to it?

- Joe

Last edited by Joe Emmerson; 01/03/07 9:59 PM.
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I think there are always depts who do not have the 'clout' to buy an off the shelf product. frown

As you said, something is better than nothing.


Be Proactive and reactive.

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