Have you ever wondered why you need to wait so long at a hospital? It is often because there are no free beds. It might be a consequence of many patients, inefficient system or thefts. This is why hospital bed management systems are so important – they can reduce the waiting time as well as decrease the number of stolen or lost beds. Read more to learn everything about hospital bed management systems.

What is hospital bed management?

A hospital bed management system is a process which shows the live availability of hospital beds. It allows the staff to record the number of beds, check which ones are available or occupied, and plan how to use them.

Why are hospital bed management systems so important?

Waiting in a hospital might be annoying or even dangerous if you need instant help. This is why hospital bed management systems are crucial – they accelerate the whole process. A good system may boost efficiency by several means:

• Quicker bed allocation – A good system is just simply quicker – it is easy to check how many beds are free and where they are if everything is written in one file. 
• Better planning – Using a proper bed management system allows the staff to plan bed allocation better. As a result, there are always sufficient beds for the most severe cases and that each patient category has enough space. 
• Reduced number of missing beds – Whether the beds are stolen, or lay forgotten somewhere in the facility – if they are not used, the waiting times are longer. Since it is difficult to order new hospital beds due to their limited availability, it is crucial to use all the resources that the hospital has. Bed management systems allow that by cutting down the number of beds that are gone missing. 
• Improved communication between departments – A good, centralized system might boost the communication between departments. Sometimes, the patient flow is so big that you need to cooperate to have enough beds. With a proper system, this is much easier.

What kind of hospital bed management system is worth investing?

The term ‘good hospital bed management system’ was used in this article several times. However, what hides beneath that term? The answer might not be simple, but it is possible to list the two main characteristics of a management system worth investing in.

First of all, the system needs to include trackers. It is crucial to know where the beds are – it will reduce the number of thefts and missing beds. 

Secondly, a proper bed management system requires a fast, reliable software. Tracking beds is one thing, but being able to decipher the data is as important. If the system is not fast enough, or difficult to use, the waiting time might actually increase.

Conclusions

Hospital bed management system are of utmost importance – they reduce patients’ waiting time, improve planning and decrease the number of missing beds. By using a fast, reliable system with trackers, your hospital might improve its workflow significantly.