How Real-Time Location Tracking System Helps the Healthcare Sector
Although it may not be that noticeable, the reality is that day-to-day operations in the medical sector can be enhanced – particularly in areas like their processes, services, and staff workflow.
To relieve some of these pressing issues, the healthcare industry has sought beneficial technologies from other sectors and have found RTLS (Real-Time Location Systems) to be the optimal solution.
By having real-time tracking integrated into nearly all aspects of the business, several key improvements have been realised, such as significant enhancements to hospital workflow, greater clinical services, and increased patient satisfaction.
Below, we will elaborate more on the benefits of RFID in a hospital facility setting.
Better traffic control
It’s not uncommon for a hospital to be swamped with patients during specific periods or seasons in a year.
By having real-time tracking with RFID on all persons inside the building, be it staff or patient – management can better control traffic within the establishment and direct individuals to where they want to go.
This capability is especially crucial for emergency cases wherein a critical patient needs to be transferred to another facility as quickly as possible and with no delays.
Enhanced patient experience
Patients may require the aid of nurses and other hospital staff at any time during the day or night.
Given that timely aid to these needs could assure a patient’s health, nearby hospital staff must be notified as quickly as possible to provide assistance, medically related or otherwise.
RFID companies helps in this scenario by supplying RFID tags, followed by outfitting each patient with an active RFID tag that’s visible to nearby nurse stations. A simple tap or push of a button can signal staff that they need help as soon as possible.
Asset management
Tools and various equipment, both consumable and non-consumable, are vital in allowing health care professionals to do their jobs properly.
By bringing an RFID tool tracking system into the hospital, staff can virtually never run out of stock on certain medicines, know when and where the equipment is used and by whom, and monitor the wear and tear of tools for maintenance.
Additionally, because tags can reference to critical information, like the expiration dates of specific consumables, or medical information. This possibility brings about many advantages, an important one of which is the elimination of accidents.
Improved security and privacy
Security and privacy both for the hospital and its patients is something that can also be improved with the implementation of RFID. Whether it’s a certain sector or a patient’s medical file, there will always be things in hospitals that must be safeguarded against unauthorised personnel.
RFID can be implemented as a means of providing access to these private areas or assets. One common usage is to embed certain RFID tags that contain access levels on the ID cards of authorised personnel. In combination with an accompanying authentication system, this method will restrict certain areas and assets, and only provide access to an individual with the correct access level and identification details.
The business of saving lives is serious, which means that hospitals must be efficient and professional at all times. By harnessing RFID’s strengths, medical centres have been able to upgrade their entire operations and, consequently, provide enhanced services to their patients, allowing for the realisation of their main goal, to provide health care.
