ECRI Institute's Alert and Recall Management System Expands Effectiveness with New Content a...( Patient safety system helps to ge...),Health

Patient safety system helps to get the right information about product risks and failures to the right people quickly

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ECRI Institute, (http://www.ecri.org), an independent nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, has enhanced its Alerts Tracker(TM) Web-based alert and recall management system with broader coverage of healthcare products and new alert filters.

Alerts Tracker improves a hospital's ability to respond to safety alerts by automating distribution of each alert to appropriate facility staff.

Recent enhancements broaden the system's coverage of medical devices to now include blood, food, and drug alerts. ECRI Institute's extensive database of alerts includes results from ECRI Institute investigations; medical device, drug, and recall information culled from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; manufacturer information; and other sources.

In addition, a geographic filter is included in the system to allow hospitals to limit distribution of alerts to those of potentially affected products distributed in their country. Users benefit from coverage of international alert information sources while saving time and attention by screening out the large number of alerts that are specific to other countries.

"ECRI Institute continues to expand the scope of Alerts Tracker to help hospitals effectively and efficiently respond to an increasing number of hazards and alerts," says James P. Keller, M.S., Vice President, Health Technology Evaluation and Safety, ECRI Institute. "The Alerts Tracker system encourages staff members to work together to quickly monitor and complete recall assignments. Most important, critical information is shared among key departments."

"The Alerts Tracker has really taken a load off of my back, because it is fast and efficient," says Keith Zorn, CB
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