Gaining Clinical Pathology Accreditation Compliance via POC Data Management Solutions

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in London has upgraded its RAPIDComm® Data Management System from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics to version 4.0 to integrate the control of blood gas, urinalysis and diabetes Point of Care (POC) testing to help drive compliance and improve patient care. The main driver to install the solution was to work in-line with Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) guidelines.

The initial focus of the RAPIDComm Data Management System when first released was to provide Point of Care coordinators with real-time oversight of multiple Siemens RAPIDSystems™ blood gas analysers from a single location. Wide-ranging blood gas capabilities include the ability to remotely access and troubleshoot connected instruments, set alerts, manage operators, generate Quality Control reports, schedule and record maintenance activities and view live screens to take direct control of RAPIDLab® 1200 and RAPIDPoint® 400 and 500 series blood gas analysers from the laboratory or remote office locations. Siemens has now expanded the functionality of the RAPIDComm system with version 4.0, which also supports CLINITEK Status® Connect urine chemistry analysers and DCA Vantage® HbA1c diabetes care test instruments.

“Achieving CPA is extremely important for the Royal Free,” said Gillian Hall POCT Manager & Clinical Biochemistry Quality Manager at Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust. “Service users and patients can be confident that our POC testing is safe.”

Point of Care testing compliance at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust is soon to be assessed with a forthcoming inspection for Clinical Pathology Accreditation. Gillian Hall stated, “I believe that without RAPIDComm and the support we have had from Siemens, CPA would be extremely difficult to achieve. In the case of a blood gas sample, the RAPIDComm Data Management System provides a full audit trail for CPA purposes.”

“The installation of RAPIDComm 4.0 is a landmark for both the Royal Free and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. Our data management solution combined with the skills and dedication of the Trust’s Point of Care Team is a big step towards attaining Clinical Pathology Accreditation,” said Hilda Crockett, Business Manager for Point of Care at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.