Introducing Medication On Demand

TITUSVILLE, Fla. -- Parrish Medical Center (PMC) is changing the way pain medications are given to hospitalized patients at the bedside.

PMC offers the first-of-its-kind Medication on Demand (MOD(r)) device. MOD is an FDA-approved patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) oral medication delivery system for tablets or capsules. It safely and securely puts doctor-prescribed pain management in the hands of the individual patient when they need it. No waiting.

Patients who have the ability to access their own pain medications report better pain control and excellent overall satisfaction. Nurses like that the MOD(r) is easy to use and allows them to spend more quality time with their patients and dedicate more time to excellent patient care.

The MOD(r) device is securely locked onto a tray that is then securely locked onto an IV pole. The device is programmed per doctor's order with dosage and timing information. A "ready" light notifies the patient when the device can be activated to remove a medication dose. Patient access is allowed only through a unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristband that identifies them to the device.

Medications are delivered in three easy steps from a disposable tray that fits into the MOD(r) device: 1.Patient touches the pain scale on the device to self report pain levels between 1 and 10. 2.Patient then swipes his/her RFID wristband. 3.Patient removes the medication. The MOD(r) also records patient data and pain scores, which are put into the patient's medical record.

PMC's mission is to provide healing experiences for everyone all the time(tm). Offering the MOD(r) is one more way the hospital is fulfilling that mission---helping to make the hospital experience as painless as possible.

Placing more control of the hospital experience in the patient's hands is one of the founding principles of a healing environment. People expect to give up a certain level of personal control when hospitalized and understand there are required medication schedules, tests and procedures that must be done at certain times to achieve quality outcomes. However, PMC's signature healing environment has sought ways to place as much control back into the hands of patients as possible as a way to enhance their overall patient experience.

PMC patient comfort offerings include room service and housekeeping on demand, concierge services, a dedicated service response center that fulfills personalized comfort requests, and now pain medication on demand.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a standardized survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients' perspectives of hospital care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) partnered with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), another agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop the HCAHPS survey. It includes 27 items that encompass critical aspects of the hospital experience, including pain management.

The other items include communication with doctors, communication with nurses, responsiveness of hospital staff, cleanliness and quietness of hospital environment, communication about medicines, discharge information, overall rating of hospital, and recommendation of hospital.

PMC's excellent HCAHPS ratings across the board have led to the hospital earning a number of national recognitions for providing outstanding patient experiences, including the 2010 JD Power & Associates Distinguished Hospital Award for Outstanding Inpatient Experiences and the 2009/2010 Outstanding Patient Experience Award(tm) from HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

Parrish Medical Center is located at 951 N. Washington Avenue in Titusville and is Brevard County's only award winning, standalone, not-for-profit, public hospital.

About Parrish Medical Center

Parrish Medical Center is a nationally recognized industry leader having earned a number of prestigious recognitions, including J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital ProgramSM Award for An Outstanding Inpatient Experience; Gallup Great Workplace Award; HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award(tm) and Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award(tm); Modern Healthcare's Top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare and Spirit of Excellence Awards for Service; and more Joint Commission disease-specific Gold Seal(r) certifications than all but two other hospitals in Florida and one of only five in the nation with as many. For more information, visit parrishmed.com or call 321-268-6110

Editors Note: The Medication on Demand device is made by Avancen, a company based in Charleston, SC