"Under terms of the agreement, VHA will measure the extent of MedPoint's impact on medication-error reduction," explained Don McCall, a group senior vice president at VHA. "To facilitate participation, incentives will be offered to a limited number of VHA members that purchase MedPoint software in time to participate in the study."

Bridge is a California-based information technology (IT) firm that has pioneered the use of barcode technology to promote patient safety. MedPoint is now "live" at half a dozen U.S. hospitals and in various stages of hospital-wide deployment at another 40 or so facilities.

"One of VHA's primary missions is helping members improve the quality of care by increasing access to innovative technologies," explained McCall. "This agreement enables VHA to evaluate MedPoint and better define its impact on medication-error reduction. We also want to better understand MedPoint's compatibility with other IT systems already in use at many hospitals. Knowledge gained from this effort will help VHA members, and ultimately the entire industry, make intelligent, effective choices when selecting and deploying patient safety systems."

The study will begin immediately with completion expected in 2003.

"Recent studies indicate that up to 19 percent of medications were administered incorrectly at the institutions studied," said Bridge President and CEO John B. Grotting. "Up to 7 percent of these errors were potentially harmful."

"With MedPoint, nurses can use technology to help them intercept potential medication administration, blood transfusion and other medical errors at the hospital bedside, dramatically improving patient safety."

Bridge's MedPoint suite of software applications is categorized as barcode-enabled point-of-care (BPOC) technology. Hospitals are now considering implementing computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) systems to help reduce prescription errors. However, Grotting noted, many hospital
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Contact: Carol Somer
csomer@bridgemedical.com
858-314-5609
Bridge Medical, Inc.
22-Oct-2002

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