3M announced in February of 2008 the release of the Amelior™ suite of real-time workflow automation solutions from Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS) to its healthcare customer base. The Amelior software comprises hospital-wide and department-specific workflow information systems to improve patient flow and reduce the risk of medical errors. As part of 3M’s Track and Trace Solutions, the Amelior suite applies business process intelligence based on location, movement and interactions between patients, staff and mobile medical equipment in order to recognize and communicate patient care milestones as they occur. The automatic data capture minimizes data entry and improves the visibility of patient care progression for clinicians to better anticipate and manage their workflow. The Amelior software suite from PCTS is compatible with most real-time locating systems (RTLS) including ultrasound, infrared and active radio frequency identification (RFID). It includes dedicated solutions for the emergency, surgical services and outpatient services departments of healthcare facilities. Entity tracking software supports personnel and asset tracking throughout an entire healthcare facility. The software interfaces with a healthcare facility’s existing information and communication systems to integrate the status of orders, case schedules, as well as patient and staff information. The software acts as a centralized workflow portal for a department integrating key patient information. The result is the ability to streamline patient flow such that busy caregivers can orchestrate resources needed for safe and timely care.
3M, a broadly diversified technology company, is a leader in the emerging field of Track and Trace, which employs RFID in a variety of ways to identify and track high-value assets for a growing variety of healthcare applications. In 2007, 3M and Mayo Clinic announced a Track and Trace collaboration to manage the movement of specimens and tissue samples from Mayo Clinic’s surgical suites to its pathology labs. 3M also deployed a Track and Trace system that uses RFID to track medical files at the U.S. Army’s massive Fort Hood Installation in Texas. In addition to the expansion of Track and Trace Solutions technology in the hospital setting, 3M is developing applications for markets, such as pharmaceuticals, supply chain security and optimization, heavy industrial processes such as construction and mining, safety and protection of people and high value assets.
