Progress continues in regards to getting feedback from customers on the various diversion detection software products. In Part 4, I wrote about HelioMetrics. That still leaves Kit Check’s BlueSight, Invistics’ Flowlytics, Omnicell Analytics, BD’s HealthSight, and Protenus. The focus this week will be on BlueSight by Kit Check.
I asked Kit Check what set their product apart from the others, and one of the reasons stated was their focus on the Operating Room (OR). They feel strongly about capturing data in the OR. They state the OR is one of the hardest areas to capture but one of the more important places that the data capture is needed. Consequently, their focus started in the OR with all three of their beta customers first going live with software implementation in the OR.
BlueSight began beta testing in late 2017. Their software can monitor medications from the manufacturer “and beyond”, which I clarified to mean through the reverse distributor. Last week I said I believed HelioMetrics was the only software to monitor the whole pathway, but it seems BlueSight now offers that as well. BlueSight can pull data from infusion pumps, integrate with all major EMRs and ADMs, and controlled substances (CS) as well as non-controlled can be incorporated into the monitoring. They use artificial intelligence but also human intelligence in their algorithms. They pride themselves on building reports that are easy for the client and don’t require a lot of time to decipher.
I had the opportunity to speak to one BlueSight customer. I would welcome the opportunity to speak to another, so if you are a BlueSight customer and would like to share your experience with me, please reach out. The facility I spoke with is a Cerner/Pyxis facility licensed for 206 beds, 2 ambulatory centers, and 4 urgent cares. They were one of the beta test sites and as such, had the opportunity to contribute suggestions and feedback from the get-go. The software was easy to understand upon implementation and during this time the vendor was very responsive and supportive of their needs. The software is working well in the OR and has cut the pharmacy technician’s CS monitoring time from 3-4 hours a day to 2-3 hours a week. However, the OR is the only place the software is working.
To date, BlueSight has not been successful with pulling in data from the nursing floors. This facility’s pharmacy manager recognizes the fault does not lie completely with BlueSight but feels customer service is not what it was with his original project lead who no longer works with BlueSight. He feels BlueSight could take a more proactive role in seizing ownership of the problem and working toward a solution, not only because he is a paying customer but also because his facility was an early adopter and contributed significantly to product improvements. Interestingly though, with his clear frustrations over the fact that he still can not utilize the software on the nursing floors, he is happy with the software application in the OR. He stated, “The product is great. I wish I could get it to work for everything.” He also said, “I am frustrated with the struggle but happy with the product and think I’ll be satisfied once this is worked out.”
