As people live longer and require better, lower-cost healthcare, we provide essential products and services that improve the quality of our patients’ lives.
 More Oxygen Supply Options, Fewer Deliveries
All over the world, we are gradually moving our homecare patients to more flexible oxygen supply systems that reduce our home deliveries and, as a result, vehicle emissions. For example, we recently introduced technology in the U.S. that enables patients to refill portable oxygen cylinders from their home oxygen concentrator quickly, easily and safely. This has not only given more patients the freedom to get out and about, but also has reduced our drivers’ deliveries by nearly 30%. Meanwhile, in Spain and other parts of the world, we are introducing more patients to concentrators, providing them with continuous, reliable oxygen therapy while reducing our deliveries and our impact on the environment.
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Certified Medical Gases for Hospitals and Clinics
As an integral part of patient care in a hospital—in surgery, recovery, ICU, emergency, pneumology, maternity, neonatology, blood bank, clinical analysis, general wards and elsewhere—medical oxygen is considered a drug and must be manufactured in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). All of our medical gas manufacturing sites have undergone full validation; our employees are trained in cGMPs; our manufacturing process is ISO 9000-certified; and our entire fleet of delivery trucks is qualified for medical service. We also are the leader in providing helium and services for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with ISO 9002- certified technicians who serve more than two-thirds of the MRI magnets in the U.S. and more than half of the magnets globally.
Continuing Education
By providing formal continuing education programs, we enhance case managers’ knowledge of diseases and our service capabilities while helping them move closer to achieving the prestigious Certified Case Manager designation under the U.S. Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC), widely recognized as the gold standard in the field of case management today. These in-services include topics such as Osteomyelitis, Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Understanding Oximetry, and MRSA. |
WORKFLOW SYSTEM VIRTUALLY ELIMINATES PAPER, TONER USE
We’ve migrated to a Web-based paperless and tonerless workflow system at our Healthcare operations in the five-county Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and beyond, eliminating the need to send and receive more than two million patient-care faxes every year. Use of the Inscrybe™ Healthcare system allows our personnel to exchange information with community-based physicians, meet critical security and compliance requirements, and virtually eliminate the need for paper and toner. Although the paperless faxing concept is not itself new, its application for secure transfer of sensitive patient care documents is resulting in significant environmental improvements and cost savings. |
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Patient Forums Provide Mutual Learning Opportunities
Over the last year, our Healthcare team has staged more than 20 Patient Forums in locations across England and Wales. The events offer a chance for patients with a range of respiratory conditions to come together and discuss issues relating to their health or the medical oxygen service we provide.
The Forums have proven to be a huge success since they were first launched in early 2006, and we have received many comments and letters from patients telling us how much they appreciate them. For some, the events are an opportunity to learn more about the help and support available, while others have an opportunity to learn more about getting the best use from their equipment. From Air Products’ perspective, the Forums provide invaluable insight into the needs of patients. In fact the information generated from the Forums has helped us enhance our service and even introduce new equipment innovations.
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Patients at a Forum in Liverpool were treated to classical pieces performed by musicians from the UK chamber orchestra, Manchester Camerata. | |
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