Awarepoint RTLS to Feature in IHE Interoperability Demo

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Awarepoint, the largest real-time location system (RTLS) corporation dedicated exclusively to healthcare, announced that its integrated RTLS platform will be featured in an industry-wide interoperability demonstration led by the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Patient Care Device (PCD) Domain at the AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) 2013 Conference & Expo, June 1–3 in Long Beach, CA.

Awarepoint, the only RTLS vendor member of the IHE Patient Care Device (PCD) Medical Equipment Management Working Group to date, will join other workgroup members—including Hospira, B Braun, Cerner, Philips, Amcom and EQ2—in demonstrating how their enterprise applications and medical devices integrate to improve patient care and safety while reducing operating expenses. In particular, Awarepoint will demonstrate the use of Infusion Pump Event Communications using PCD-10 standard messages which, combined with location, provide greater insight into asset utilization. By identifying IV Pumps that are sitting idle in patient rooms, organizations can expedite the return of pumps to circulation and potentially reduce equipment purchases.

IHE is an initiative to create a standards-based framework for passing vital health information seamlessly within and across multiple healthcare enterprises - from application to application, system to system, and setting to setting. Systems that support IHE Integration Profiles work together better, are easier to implement, and help care providers use information more effectively. The demonstration will take place throughout the AAMI conference in booth #837. The demonstration is sponsored by AAMI, the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE) and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

"Awarepoint's hard work and devotion to the use of interoperability specifications based on industry standards has been a welcome addition to IHE-PCD," said Steve Merritt, Co-chair of the IHE PCD Domain Committee. "Medical device-RTLS integration has the potential to transform the management of devices and potentially improve patient care while also reducing cost. I'm very pleased with Awarepoint's enthusiasm in driving additional use cases, including the development of industry standards for location services messaging, which is a new PCD Profile that we intend to develop soon."

"We're proud to be the first RTLS company to engage with IHE's medical device interoperability initiative and believe very strongly in the organization's mission," said Jay Deady, president and CEO of Awarepoint. "For hospitals struggling to cope with the technology demands of a fast-evolving healthcare system, few initiatives are more important than interoperability, especially when it maximizes the value of their investments in EHRs, CMMSs and other major HIT systems by automatically populating them with real-time RTLS data for greater efficiency and better outcomes."

In addition to the IHE demonstration, Awarepoint will also be featured at AAMI in booth #630 and at the Product Showcase on Sunday, June 2nd at 5 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall. The company will demonstrate advanced RTLS use cases for par level equipment management, proximity-based utilization, infection control and preventive maintenance. In addition, participants will learn about the value of web-enabled asset management software and its ability to improve workflow and staff satisfaction for clinical engineering.

Awarepoint is also sponsoring the ACCE's Annual members Meeting/Awards Reception on Sunday, June 2 at 7:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Beacon Ballroom. During this event, Carlene Anteau, MS, RN, Awarepoint VP of Product Marketing, will provide an overview of current and future plans for IHE PCD-standard integration, furthering the value of RTLS in supporting patient safety, quality of care and asset management.

About Awarepoint
Awarepoint delivers the healthcare industry's only cloud-based, Real-time Location System (RTLS) on a single platform of integrated software, technology, and managed services. By enabling predictive workflows to better manage assets, patients, and personnel across the enterprise, the aware360°Suite allows administrators and care providers to advance the quality, efficiency, experience, and economics of care. Dedicated exclusively to healthcare, Awarepoint's experience and reliable, proven solutions power the largest healthcare RTLS deployments in the world.