Digitized Distribution of Home-based Oxygen Therapy
Medigas Italia digitizes the distribution of home oxygen therapy services through the integration of a data management solution. The whereabouts of the therapeutic and diagnostic equipment can be located in real time. Truck operating time is reduced by 20 minutes per customer.
The objective is to track and manage hundreds of ventilators and other therapeutic and diagnostic equipment in numerous homes across Italy. Medigas Italia is able to uniquely identify each one of its respiratory therapy assets, track its delivery and return and organize maintenance.
Medigas Italia is a Milan-based provider of life-saving products to patients throughout Italy who use oxygen therapy or respiratory services. Patients requiring oxygen therapy typically suffer from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Process Requirements
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an additional challenge to both healthcare services and Medigas as more patients suffer from long-term respiratory illness. In many cases, it is the ventilators and other therapeutic and diagnostic equipment and services that enable patients to remain at home.
However, tracking and managing the equipment used in hundreds of homes across Italy is a major challenge that requires extremely accurate data on the movement of inventory and assets.
Objectives of Medigas Italia
- Real-time inventory of all respiratory therapy equipment
- Automatic replenishment ordering of goods
- Provision of life-saving medical devices for patients at home
Solution of Medigas Italia
Medigas Italia has developed a system based on portable barcode scanners, UHF RFID readers, printers, on-metal labels and an integrated data management solution. To ensure that each item can be properly tracked, Medigas Italia has applied flexible metal labels to cryogenic bottles and other metal equipment before they are shipped to households.
Today, Medigas Italia automatically captures the identity of each piece of equipment when the truck is loaded before delivery to the customer. By immediately identifying the labels on the spot before the truck leaves, employees have been able to save an average of 20 minutes per truck. Labels can usually be read within a few seconds.
The benefits are not just time savings and accuracy. By using the RFID system, employees can now automatically capture serial numbers for each item, reducing manual errors. Automatic data capture enables transparent tracking of delivery processes.
Medigas Italia also shares real-time pickup and delivery documentation with customers so they, too, can see when and where equipment was loaded or unloaded onto trucks.
The technology has other applications as well, such as automatic invoicing, real-time inventory, and automatic ordering of supplies. Medigas Italia can also use the technology to automatically open gates and delegate the operation of machines to properly trained personnel. The system can even help Medigas Italia manage the maintenance and inspection of its life-saving equipment. Ultimately, the solution has ensured that Medigas Italia has the equipment it needs for each patient, where and when it is needed.
Technology Partner
Hardware & Software
- Confidex – Silverline On-Metal RAIN-RFID-Etiketten
- Zebra Technologies – Drucker
Advantages
- 20 minutes of time saved on each truck load
- Overview of where each asset is when it is distributed and then received back from customers
- Quickly and accurately capturing tags in crowded environments ensuring accurate inventory
- Automatic generation of delivery bills and invoices based on loaded items saves labor and time
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