December 1, 2023- In hundreds of locations throughout any given hospital, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find millions of paper labels for high-use medical supplies affixed to drawers, bins, racks, and shelving—the legacy of a healthcare supply chain, which, from the point of demand through distributors to manufacturers, has been built on dedicated, long-term GPO contracts for primarily commodity items.
Electronic shelf labels (ESL) are micro e-paper displays that attach to the edge of a shelf. Traditionally and most commonly used in retail for pricing changes, the e-paper display allows the label to be updated remotely and immediately. What does this mean for healthcare? Well, for one, no more manual swapping out of labels, which means you can more easily and efficiently swap out information when there are substitutions or product changes.
Imagine having preapproved substitutes that hospital and healthcare facility workers can view on an electronic dashboard from their desktop or phone. Electronic shelf labels will update without anyone having to do anything, lessening caregivers’ administrative burden, increasing efficiency, and reducing the risk of human error.
Medline and SoluM, a market leader in ESL hardware and software worldwide, have been focused on developing an ESL system for healthcare and inventory management that, among other things, would feature:
- Battery-powered, Wi-Fi enabled, programmable, high-visibility multicolor electronic labels affixed to shelves and bins for display of critical product information
- Multifunctional, durable device that is scratch-resistant and has a seven- to 10-year battery life
- Dual, multifunctional buttons
- “Paper-like” 180° viewing angle with matte and anti-glare finish