Healthcare

Healthcare

Harnessing the power of standards
to enhance patient safety
and traceability.

We work with industry to promote and amplify the use of our standards throughout the supply chain and patient pathway.

GS1 standards are used for the unique identification of every person, every product, and every place, to enable end-to-end traceability from manufacturer to patient.

Since our standards are both system and device agnostic, the data captured can then be shared seamlessly between systems and organisations to enable interoperability.

Mandated by The Department of Health and Social Care as part of the NHS eProcurement Strategy, the adoption of GS1 standards went on to be piloted as part of the Scan4Safety programme.

Traceability and interoperability

There are a series of GS1 Identification Keys that are used in healthcare to enable transparency throughout the supply chain and patient pathway. These keys allow for people, products and places to be identified seamlessly, in a standardised format, so that the data captured is consistent.

Our GS1 standards are also both system and device agnostic, allowing this vital data to then be shared between systems and organisations to facilitate system-wide interoperability.

Common GS1 standards in healthcare

Global Service Relation Number (GSRN)

Global Service Relation Number (GSRN)

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)

Global Location Number (GLN)

Global Location Number (GLN)

Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)

Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)

Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI)

Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI)

Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS)

Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS)

Summary of key terms

To help you navigate the key terms, acronyms and definitions you may come across along the way, we have developed a handy guide which highlights the most significant ones you need to know.

Download the A-Z of healthcare terminology to gain a better understanding of the GS1 Identification Keys, their abbreviations, and where they fit into the supply chain and patient pathway.

Scan4Safety

The Scan4Safety evidence report demonstrated that implementing GS1 standards improves patient safety, reduces unwarranted clinical variation, and drives operational efficiencies – delivering better quality and safety in healthcare.

140,000 hours saved

140,000 hours of clinical time back to patient care

76% reduction in errors

76% reduction in errors caused wrong patient, drug, dose and form

Recalls reduced to 35 minutes

Product recall time reduced from 8.33 days to less than 35 minutes

£9m non-recurrent savings

Non-recurrent inventory reductions of £9m across the six demonstrator sites

£5m recurrent savings

Recurrent inventory savings worth nearly £5m across the six trusts

£3.1m worth of benefits

Cumulative benefits of £3,194,346 realised within two years at Derby

To learn more about Scan4Safety and its impact, download the full report via the link below.

Case studies

Case studies

GS1 standards are helping providers and professionals to be safer, smarter and more successful by giving the entire world of healthcare the power to work wonders.