The TRITEMP™ non-contact device is a medical grade hospital thermometer designed to provide patients at healthcare facilities with optimum care. In comparison to many of the retail thermometers that are designed for non-medical purposes, the TRITEMP™ is certified with the EU Directive 93/42/CE to signal the quality and precision of the device.
TRITEMP™ is more than just a non-contact hospital thermometer. By introducing TRITEMP™ hospitals can confidently gain many benefits across staff, workflow and cost save hospitals money. TRITEMP™ requires no plastic consumables it provides huge benefit in terms of lifetime value.
Non-Contact Thermometer Means Zero Waste
A non-contact thermometer differs from traditional contact thermometers in the market. Contact thermometers include tympanic, axillary and rectal thermometers which all rely on physical contact to take an accurate measurement of body temperature via the ear, armpit or rectum. To stay on top of hygiene and infection control, the traditional hospital grade thermometer uses plastic caps which are discarded after every reading. For home users, this might not seem like a lot of waste, but in a healthcare environment the amount of plastic caps which are thrown away is significant.
Reducing Budgets with Sustainable Thermometers
In fact, a 900-bed hospital will use, and dispose of up to 3 million plastic probe covers every year. Purchasers must consider the purchase of the caps, but also the cost to dispose of this contaminated medical waste which must be incinerated. 69% of NHS Trusts reveal that their spend on this type of waste amounts to £33.3 million1.
So imagine then, how dramatically the consumables spend reduces, when hospitals swap their traditional hospital thermometers for the TRITEMP™, with it’s non-contact design. Using infra-red technology as part of the ‘TAP & TAKE’ process, there is no need for the thermometer to come into contact with any patient at any time, so has the potential to save NHS hospitals millions.
The Cost of Plastic Usage on the Environment
Single-use plastics in hospitals have long been a talking point for environmental groups who are concerned about the lack of choice that patients have when undergoing treatment. For example, a hysterectomy procedure can generate up to 20 pounds of plastic waste2, according to Practice Greenhealth. This problem has increased during the pandemic as hospitals are using vast quantities of PPE equipment in a bid to keep on top of infection control.
The Waste and Resources Action Program reveals that only 7% of healthcare plastic waste is being recycled in the UK3, but TRITEMP™ thermometers offer an opportunity to significantly reduce plastic waste.
Saving Time Saves Money
Additionally, where there is no need to source and dispose a plastic probe cover after every temperature recording, workflow efficiencies for nurses will improve. As body temperature is a key indicator of a person’s health, accurate temperature measurement is of vital importance in hospitals and other healthcare settings. By cutting seconds off each temperature reading, Healthcare Professionals will have more time to do what they do best – care.
FAQ’s
The main ways that TRITEMP™ allows hospitals to save money are:
•Eliminates the need for trusts to invest in single-use plastic caps to be changed between thermometer measurements. The TRITEMP™ is non-contact so no probe cover is required.
•Eliminates the cost of destroying plastic covers which are classified as contaminated medical waste. Typically, these would be incinerated as part of the hospital’s infection control policy.
•Reduces the amount of time to take an accurate temperature reading, unlocking the full potential of staff and specialists and giving them back time to do what they do best – care.
The TRITEMP™ is a non-invasive device which is advantageous for patients or situations where contact would be difficult or disruptive.
These hospital grade thermometers also eliminate the need for millions of unnecessary contact points with patients, which is essential at any time, but never more so than during the pandemic. The TRITEMP™ is easy to use and provides a quick and accurate reading which reduces the time for healthcare staff to monitor patients.
TRITEMP™ has been designed as a medical grade device; however, its incredible accuracy within +/-0.2 Celsius means that it’s suitable for a wide range of healthcare facilities.
Anyone who would typically show signs of distress whilst having their temperature taken via traditional contact methods, including autistic and paediatric patients can be monitored with this simple non-contact alternative, designed with quality of care and patient experience in mind.
1 https://www.rcn.org.uk/-/media/royal-college-of-nursing/documents/publications/2018/february/pdf-006683.pdf?la=en
2 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/can-medical-care-exist-without-plastic#:~:text=A%20study%20on%20a%20single,offers%20a%20newly%20sterile%20environment.
3 https://returntowellness.co.uk/2019/06/13/is-the-nhs-wasting-money/
– https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2019/10/can-medical-care-exist-without-plastic
– https://returntowellness.co.uk/2019/06/13/is-the-nhs-wasting-money/
