Key vendor leaves market, EHPs scramble for software
BD discontinues popular occ health program
Amid all the advances in electronic medical records software, there's been a setback in occupational health. Respond, which was purchased by Becton, Dickinson and Company in 2009 and renamed BD Protect, is being discontinued.
That has left many hospitals scrambling to replace their software before the technical support contracts expire. They are seeking an option that is cost-effective and user-friendly.
Sue A. Miller, RN, BSN, COHN-S/CM, director of Employee Health at DuBois (PA) Regional Medical Center, had used Respond for 21 years. It was a shock to learn it was being discontinued, says Miller. It also presents an unexpected cost; she hadn't budgeted for new software. "It's just a very challenging time for all of us," she says.
Bruce Cunha, RN, MS, COHN-S, manager of employee health and safety at the Marshfield (WI) Clinic, needs a system that can be accessed by employee health nurses at the clinic's 63 centers. It needs to be compatible with the clinic's human resources database and capable of accepting information from the laboratory.
Respond fit those needs, he says. "We were one of their largest users. It worked fine for us for years and years and years," Cunha says.
He's hoping the transition to a new vendor won't be painful. "One of the first questions we have to any new vendor Do you have a conversion program to take our data and convert it to your program? I don't want to lose 18 years of data," he says.
Amid all the advances in electronic medical records software, there's been a setback in occupational health. Respond, which was purchased by Becton, Dickinson and Company in 2009 and renamed BD Protect, is being discontinued.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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