Electronic Health Reporter

Hospitals rely on data loggers for a variety of reasons; here’s a look at four of the critical ways in which they use data loggers:

1 – Protect Sensitive Assets

The most common use of digital data logging in a hospital is to monitor temperature levels in fridges and freezers that are used to store sensitive assets such as vaccines, tissue samples, blood, and organs for transplant. Because these items require storage at a cold temperature to ensure they are safe for use, a data recorder can monitor the conditions to ensure they stay within acceptable ranges. Before digital data loggers, these storage areas had to be monitored manually by humans. Not only were the temperature instruments not very accurate, but it was also unknown if the storage temperatures had remained within the required zone between readings. Data loggers provide continuous readings and alert personnel when the temperature gets too warm or too cold.

2 – Regulate Sensitive Environments

Hospitals contain sensitive environments where conditions must remain at strictly regulated levels. This includes such places as operating theatres and cold rooms. A digital data logger tracks temperatures and humidity in an operating room to ensure that both the patient and operating staff are comfortable during a procedure. In cold rooms that are used to store medical supplies, a digital data logger can be used to alert staff after hours or on weekends if a door does not close properly or is left open, potentially threatening the integrity of the stored items. Also, if a system failure occurs, the data logger can send an alert to inform maintenance staff to correct the problem.

3 – Follow Regulatory Protocols

Because hospitals require carefully monitored conditions, a digital data logger provides proof that all regulated protocols have been met and maintained. The data collected on a data logger can be downloaded and printed in charts or graphs showing an easy-to-understand visual representation of the data that has been recorded over time. Should the temperature, humidity, pressure, or voltage being monitored fall out of compliance, those instances will be easily identifiable and help ensure prompt correction.

4 – Maintain Public Trust

The use of data loggers in hospitals helps keep sensitive assets from spoiling in temperature-controlled settings. This ensures that pharmaceuticals are safe for distribution and that the general public can trust that those items that require proper storage received them. This is of particular importance for sensitive assets that are manufactured off-site and transported to hospitals. Digital data loggers are used to monitor environmental conditions in laboratories where the drugs and vaccines are created and then follow them on the cold chain to hospitals and pharmacies to ensure that these assets are safe and effective.

5 – Use in Medical Research

Data loggers that can measure and monitor pressure are used in medical research. An example of this would be to measure the force applied to an external brace on a broken limb like an arm or leg. The bending force would be slowly reduced as the broken bone heals and the measurements of the force reduction would be tracked by a digital data logger to ensure that the healing process goes according to the treatment plan. The data gathered helps monitor the progress, provide information that could alter the treatment plan, and record valuable information that could be used in future research.

Conclusion

Digital data loggers are essential devices. They are portable, battery-operated tools that use either built-in sensors or attached probes to monitor and track a variety of environmental conditions. In hospitals, data loggers are vital in ensuring that temperature and humidity levels do not deviate from set parameters in the storage of sensitive assets, and for keeping operating rooms comfortable when in use. Data loggers also watch for system failures or doors that do not close properly in cold rooms and can be used to assist in medical research. This form of new technology has had a positive impact on the healthcare industry and will continue to play a vital role in ensuring patient safety.