
“Creative Commons Chain Link at Disneyland” by Reg Aquino is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Modified (cropped) from original
What is the chain of custody? It’s the ability to show the full dock-to-delivery process of inbound items moving through your facility. Having an automated receiving and delivery system, which gives you the ability to track packages as they move through your healthcare facility, is critical. Imagine having the ability to closely monitor the movement of crucial packages, packages that contain things like live tissue or vitally important medical devices. Software built to manage the chain of custody of these important items will increase your team’s efficiency and credibility as well as overall patient satisfaction.
When a large hospital receives a package at the receiving dock, receiving staff should have the ability to quickly scan the package from the moment it’s delivered to initiate the chain of custody. This way, every package is tracked as it moves through the hospital; each and every change of custody is recorded until it’s delivered to its intended recipient. If your receiving staff is trapped in the dark ages, using outdated manual logging systems, a proper chain of custody — one that records every change of hands— is not initiated. Digitally tracking inbound items means no more misplaced packages, or packages that seem to have completely disappeared, and your current package and purchase order receiving protocol will be revolutionized as well.
For any large healthcare facility manually logging inbound items, maintaining a proper chain of custody for every package is challenging, if not nearly impossible. Digitally tracking each change of hands is how you streamline your dock-to-delivery process, and it’s how you tighten the chain of custody on each and every package that comes to your receiving dock.
A recent case study shows how Vuetura helped Summa Health streamline their dock-to-delivery process. Our web application enables staff to track their package status from their arrival at the dock through final delivery. The full chain of custody is displayed, showing how the items moved through the chain as well as the final proof of delivery. Our unique barcodes, placed upon every item that’s delivered, make a proper chain of custody. Any item in motion through your facility has a viewable audit trail for your receiving and delivery department employees as well as the customers to whom they deliver.
Your facility’s ability to trace or track the chain of custody of critical packages is a crucial part of establishing credibility as it streamlines operations and offers a verifiable trail for every item that enters your facility. Unfortunately, many modern hospitals and clinics are still using dated manual systems to track shipments that arrive at the receiving dock. It’s an inefficient and antiquated receiving and delivery system, and it brings with it a variety of issues, all starting at the receiving dock.
An automated receiving and delivery system will improve efficiency. Your facility’s systems and accuracy will improve tremendously when you’re able to initiate a chain of custody as soon as packages arrive at your dock. You will have the verifiable chain of custody you need for proof of delivery, every time.
If you’re now looking for an automated inbound tracking system for your health facility and have additional questions, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with us today and tell us what you need.
Want to see Vuetura Software in action? Request a personalized demo today.
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