How an Indiana hospital contained MERS virus

An Indiana hospital relied on best practices and technology to avoid spreading the deadly MERS virus while treating the first reported case in the United States, InformationWeek reported. When a man who had traveled to Saudi Arabia arrived at the 427-bed Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana with symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)--severe fever, cough and shortness of breath--three technologies helped the hospital identify everyone who came in contact with him. First, the hospital gave out badges with real-time location technology (RTLS) that identified 50 staff, patients and visitors who had contact with the MERS patient. Second, staff logged every patient interaction, including housekeeping, into the hospital's EHR system. Finally, the hospital checked its video surveillance system to make sure it didn't overlook anyone. Read the full story at FierceHealthIT