Access Management Journal - March 2009 - (Page 18) In terms of maintenance and materials cost, laser printers are bigger consumers than thermal printers once again. A laser printer’s fuser mechanism, among the most costly items that need periodic replacement, generally needs to be replaced more frequently than the print head of a thermal printer. In addition, because stored media can get moist, the adhesive may stick to the fuser, which is very timeconsuming and expensive to clean. A full calculation of materials waste must also include redundant printing. In a hospital setting, this usually occurs when a label or wristband is damaged, requiring it to be printed a second time. Many laser-generated bar coded wristbands require tape, adhesive, or application of a laminate overlay to protect them f rom elements commonly encountered in the hospital setting—e.g., water, soaps, disinfectants, or heat. These improvised solutions, however, tend to wrinkle, crease, or fall apart easily, making them unreadable by bar code scanners. Thermal printers, on the other hand, are designed to print on specialized types of labels or wristbands that are more durable when exposed to environmental elements, designed to remain readable for longer than the average patient’s stay. When in operation, popular desktop laser printers consume anywhere from 300 to 600 watts. The power consumption of thermal printers is much lower, but more varied. Their reported specifications range from 30 to 120 watts, depending on the size of the printer. Because laser printers remain “warmed up” for a period of time after each print, their energy drain is compounded. When the printer is not in continuous use, that energy is lost. Thermal printers, however, require fewer moving parts than laser printers, they don’t require warm up time, and generally consume less energy than laser printing—making them an environmentally friendly option for settings where they are used on an as-needed basis. Saving Valuable Space In addition to materials and energy savings, thermal printers save space in the office. Thermal printers for admissions are significantly smaller and lighter than their laser counterparts, enabling healthcare organizations to easily move and house them. In fact, many thermal printers are small enough to place on an admission clerk’s desk, so each clerk could have her own wristband printer without having to walk to a centrally-located laser printer for the wristband. Not only does this approach enhance workflow, but it also increases overall efficiency. Optimizing Energy Efficiency 18 Access Management Journal When calculating the carbon footprint of a printer, it’s important to focus on materials consumption. Also, there is another component to going green that must be considered: energy consumption. One simple way to increase energy efficiency is to choose a printer that is best-suited to the specific function within the hospital. As noted previously, some admissions departments use laser printers to generate bar coded wristbands for patient identification. However, in addition to requiring fewer materials and producing less waste, dedicated thermal printers are typically a more energyefficient option when compared to laser printers. A Green Light for Change As awareness of the importance of minimizing waste and conserving energy increases, hospitals are looking for new ways to go green while also reducing costs, enhancing productivity, and ensuring patient safety. In today’s hospital admissions offices, utilizing thermal printers for bar coded patient wristband generation is just one of the many ways to become more ecologically responsible–while also preventing errors by ensuring that accurate patient information is available at the point of care. l Kathleen Trotter is business development manager at Zebra Technologies, a leading provider of thermal bar code and RFID printers, and specialty labels and wristbands, based in Vernon Hills, IL.
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