Integration of automated ward first aid kit (ADC) systems with hospital IT — standards, interfaces and interoperability

1. Why is ADC integration with hospital systems so important?

The system of automatic ward first aid kit does not function in a vacuum. It is part of a larger ecosystem, including hospital pharmacy, electronic medical records (EHR) or ERP system.

According to a study published in the “Journal of Medical Systems”, the lack of integration of pharmaceutical systems with hospital systems increases the risk of errors in drug records by up to 30% and increases the time it takes to prepare reports (Zhang et al., 2020).

Lack of integration can lead to:

• double data entry,
  
• discrepancies between actual and reported inventories,
  
• errors in the registration of medicines,
  
• delays in the reporting and analysis of wear.
  

The integrated system allows you to fully automate the flow of information, from ordering a drug to its release and accounting, minimizing the risk of errors and saving staff time.

2. Key systems for integration

In order for the ADC system to work in full synergy, it should be connected to several core components of the hospital IT environment:

• Pharmacy system → allows you to automatically update stock and control inventory.
  
• EHR (Electronic Health Record) → allows you to link the dispensing of medicines to specific patients and medical orders.
  
• ERP system/financial and warehouse → supports the reporting and accounting of drug costs.
  
• Access control and user authorization system → ensures data security and control over permissions.
  

3. Integration standards and protocols

Modern hospital systems use unified communication standards that facilitate interoperability between different software providers. Research indicates that the use of HL7 and FHIR standards in the integration of ADC systems with EHR and ERP reduces the number of data inconsistencies and speeds up the reporting process (Kuo et al., Journal of Health Informatics, 2021).

The most commonly used are:

• HL7 (Health Level Seven) → a traditional standard for data exchange in healthcare, used, among others, for communication between EHR and ADC.
  
• FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) → a newer standard based on REST API, which enables faster and more flexible data exchange.
  
• DICOM/XML /JSON → data formats that facilitate integration with modern applications and reporting systems.
  

ADC systems such as UnitBox are designed to support these standards, ensuring easy deployment in a variety of IT environments.

4. Data exchange in practice

ADC integration involves the continuous exchange of data between the first-aid kit system and the hospital software.

The most frequently exchanged information is:

• lists of drugs and their locations,
  
• stock data,
  
• medical orders and application history,
  
• user logs (who and when downloaded the drug),
  
• consumption and return reports.
  

Thanks to this, the pharmacist has a current view of the stocks and the nurse has quick access to the right medicine, without unnecessary formalities.

5. Integration challenges and possible solutions

The process of integrating ADC systems with hospital IT is not always straightforward. According to the “American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy” report, the implementation of standard APIs and integration modules reduces integration time by an average of 25% and reduces the number of technical problems in the first months of system operation (Fox et al., 2019).

The most common challenges are:

• diversity of systems and lack of uniform interfaces,
  
• limitations in the IT infrastructure,
  
• safety and compliance,
  
• lack of a dedicated integration team.
  

Solutions:

• use of standard APIs and integration modules,
  
• cooperation with the ADC system supplier already at the stage of pre-implementation analysis,
  
• testing in a pilot environment prior to production commissioning,
  
• technical documentation and ongoing support of the IT team.
  

6. Safety and Compliance

The exchange of drug and patient data requires the highest safety standards. The ADC system must comply with applicable regulations such as GDPR and national health data protection regulations.

Research shows that the use of TLS/SSL encryption and user log auditing in ADC systems significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and abuse of controlled drugs (Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2020).

Best practices:

• communication encryption (TLS/SSL),
  
• strong user authentication,
  
• audit of logs and history of operations,
  
• limited role-based access.
  

The UnitBox system ensures complete security of data exchange, compliance with GDPR and auditing of all user operations.

7. Example integration architecture

In a typical scenario, the ADC works with a central pharmacy system, which in turn connects to the EHR and ERP.

Data flows bidirectionally:

• EHR to ADC → medical orders and information about the patient,
  
• from ADC to parent systems → release confirmations, reports and inventory.
  

This solution ensures full transparency of the circulation of medicines and instant synchronization of data.

8. How UnitBox supports integration

The UnitBox system is designed for an open architecture and easy integration with most popular hospital systems.

It offers:

• HL7 and FHIR compliant APIs
  
• flexible data structure (JSON/XML)
  
• access control module with LDAP/AD integration,
  
• technical support for IT teams during implementation and operation.
  

Thanks to this, the integration runs smoothly and the hospital can use the full potential of process automation.

Conclusions

The integration of ADC systems into the hospital's IT infrastructure is not just a technical issue — it is a strategic step towards modern and safe drug management. Communication standards, attention to security and cooperation with an experienced technology partner such as UnitBox allow for full interoperability and real savings in time and resources.

Next steps

Are you planning to integrate the system of automatic ward first aid kits with the IT of the hospital? The UnitBox team will help you choose the best solutions and carry out the integration process step by step.

Contact UnitBox!