Zebra Technologies Receives 2004 Frost & Sullivan Award for Patient ID Wristband Solution.PALO ALTO Palo Alto, city, California Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , Calif. -- Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company Noun 1. consulting company - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting firm business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a , today announces it has named Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is a manufacturer of thermal bar code label and receipt printers, RFID smart label printer/encoders, and card printers, based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Zebra has products in 100 countries around the world. (Nasdaq:ZBRA), a leader in delivering on-demand printing solutions, as the recipient of its 2004 Product Leadership Award in medical informatics medical informatics, n the field of information science concerned with the analysis and dissemination of medical data through the application of computers to various aspects of health care and medicine. . Zebra was recognized by Frost & Sullivan for its development of unique bar code and radio frequency identification See RFID. (RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) A data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data. The tag, also known as an "electronic label," "transponder" or "code plate," is made up of an RFID chip attached to an antenna. ) patient wristband wristband An identifying bracelet attached to a Pt's wrist at the time of admission to a health care facility, which may be the only identifier used during a person's stay in a hospital solutions that ensure positive patient identification and patient privacy. Zebra's bar code-based patient wristband solution meets compliance requirements within the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) ruling to reduce patient medication-related errors in the hospital setting. Bar code wristbands provide information that ensures the 'five rights' -- the right patient, the right medication, the right dose, at the right time, and administered in the right way. The FDA's ruling was motivated by an Institute of Medicine report, which stated that preventable medical errors cause up to 98,000 deaths and 770,000 adverse events in the United States every year. Increased use of bar code-based bedside medication administration systems will prevent 500,000 adverse drug events and blood transfusion blood transfusion, transfer of blood from one person to another, or from one animal to another of the same species. Transfusions are performed to replace a substantial loss of blood and as supportive treatment in certain diseases and blood disorders. errors over 20 years. According to the FDA, an estimated $93 billion is also likely to be saved by reducing healthcare costs, patient pain and suffering, and lost work time due to adverse events. "The bar code can encrypt a unique patient ID number, which acts as the key to a database containing the patient's medical information, and can only be accessed by authorized persons," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Miriam Nagel. Combining a direct thermal printer A low- to medium-resolution printer that uses a type of coated paper that darkens when heat is applied to it. The paper is passed by a line of heating elements that burn dots onto the paper. This is typically used in bar code printers and other small specialty printers. and specialty Z-band wristbands, the Zebra solution is extremely durable and able to withstand the physical and environmental challenges of a lengthy hospital stay. At the same time, the wristbands satisfy the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO JCAHO Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, see there ) National Patient Safety Goals for positive patient identification. Zebra Technologies uses specialty thermal printers (most notably, the LP2844-Z) in combination with its white direct thermal polypropylene facestock ('Z-Band Direct') with a protective ultraviolet over-varnish, to fabricate durable bar code patient wristbands that comply with the privacy issues outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when (HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191) Also known as the "Kennedy-Kassebaum Act," this U.S. law protects employees' health insurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs (Title I) and provides standards for patient health, ) of 1996. In addition, Zebra Technologies' direct thermal printers can simultaneously print a bar code and text on the wristband while encoding an RFID chip embedded in the wristband. RFID extends the flexibility of patient identification systems, allowing passive detection of patient information. "Because of its unmatched quality and scanability, thermal bar code printing is becoming the technology of choice in this field. With its innovative and reliable on-demand printing solution, Zebra Technologies is fast emerging as a global leader in the field," observes Nagel. Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Product Leadership Award recognizes Zebra Technologies not only for its superior technology and the growing commercial acceptance of the direct thermal bar code-based patient identification wristbands in the healthcare market, but also for its overall excellence in technology development in the field of medical informatics. Frost & Sullivan's Product Leadership Award is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated a superior ability to develop or advance products in comparison to competing vendors. The award acknowledges successful innovation of a technology that has become a part of a well-designed product family. It also recognizes the company's product development strategies and the degree to which the product has met customers' stated needs and requirements. About Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies delivers innovative and reliable bar code and specialty label printing solutions to businesses and governments in 100 countries around the world. With over 35 years of experience and sales of nearly four million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, Zebra is the choice for specialty printing applications for more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies. Information about Zebra bar code and RFID products can be found at www.zebra.com. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company founded in 1961, partners with clients to create value through innovative growth strategies. The foundation of this partnership approach is our Growth Partnership Services platform, whereby we provide industry research, marketing strategies, consulting, and training to our clients to help grow their business. A key benefit that Frost & Sullivan brings to its clients is a global perspective on a broad range of industries, markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. With a client list that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, as well as the investment community, Frost & Sullivan has evolved into one of the premier growth-consulting companies in the world. |
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