7 things you can track with RFID products in hospitals

As an industry, healthcare is increasingly investing in RFID technology. So much so that recent market research indicates that by 2021, RFID technology will grow exponentially in the industry. One of the reasons for the significant expansion of RFID in this industry is the number of applications that can benefit.

In hospitals equipped with this technology, RFID takes many forms-from tracking surgical tools to tracking patients and medical staff.

The following are 7 common RFID applications deployed in hospitals around the world.

1. Inventory tracking / certification: Using RFID to track inventory can be achieved with almost any type of item, but the implementation of RFID systems is particularly challenging when tracking liquid-filled assets. RFID tags with the ability to track these assets are becoming more and more, mainly due to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry.

The supply of medicines in hospitals is increasing day by day, constantly changing, and must be tracked to keep patients on hand. Typical inventory tracking solutions (like many industries) involve manual counting and barcodes, which takes time to complete the staff. Using RFID can reduce the time it takes to count, so that drugs can be counted more frequently, ensuring accurate data and the correct type and quantity of drugs.

During the inventory process, a handheld reader can be used to read the RFID tag in or on each bottle or box, or the inventory can be continuously counted through a fixed reader and shelf antenna.

Some hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers also use RFID tags for identity verification. Because prescription drugs and life-saving drugs often bring high costs, counterfeiting is increasing; therefore, many companies choose to use RFID as an authentication or anti-counterfeiting resource.

This is achieved by placing RFID tags on or in medicine bottles or boxes and encrypting them with specific information so that hospitals and pharmacies can verify that the medicines they sell are genuine. Tamper-resistant RFID tags are also used in these applications to ensure quality.

2. Personnel / participant tracking: Currently, hospitals are using passive RFID technology and active RFID instances to track patients and staff throughout the hospital. There are three main reasons why patients and employees are equipped with RFID tags in hospitals:

1. Verify patient information 2. Reduce waiting time 3. Find patients

Passive RFID systems are commonly used to maintain and verify patient records on wristbands. These RFID wristbands are printed with patient information, and patient records are stored on the tag's chip or associated with the tag's ID through a database. The information encoded on the wristband label is the best way to identify the patient, because in an emergency, it can ensure that the patient is not given the wrong medicine or sent to the wrong area of the hospital to help the patient. Due to the accident, the patient's file was transferred, resulting in loss of life. Important information encoded on the wristband, such as "nut allergy" or "DOB 7/29/80", may play a key role in the patient's life.

Active RFID is used in hospitals in several different ways, but it is mainly used for applications involving tracking employees and patients.

最近ly, hospitals have used active RFID in real-time location systems (RTLS) to identify problems in their workflow, mainly to move patients in and out faster and more efficiently. In these cases, both patients and medical staff have RTLS badges, and the system recognizes their working hours in certain areas and reports this data to the management team.

RTLS was also implemented to track newborn babies. Research shows that in the United States alone, from 1965 to May 2017, 135 babies were stolen from medical institutions. Babies were not only stolen from random locations in the facility, but also in trusted areas such as mother s rooms, nurseries and pediatric halls.

To reduce the risk of babies being kidnapped, the hospital placed RTLS tags on the legs of all babies in order to monitor and track each child. If the child ventures closer to the exit door, an alarm will sound and the door will be locked; in addition, if the label is removed from the child, a different alarm sound will be emitted immediately to indicate the child's location.

3. Tool tracking with sterilization and autoclave / recoverable asset tracking: Surgical tools such as scalpels, scissors, clips and retractors are required every day. Therefore, this device must always be on hand, cleaned, disinfected and ready to use. Unfortunately, without following these tools, it is the least dangerous situation to not have the correct surgical equipment at hand.

Annual research shows that surgical instruments in hospitals were found to carry previously used bacteria, which was caused by unsterilized or improper sterilization. Not only can these items be tracked using RFID tags, but also to ensure that each tool is sterilized before use-a properly implemented system can clarify the sterilization method of individual tools.

金属嵌入或贴在手术装备的RFID标签ipment can be used for inventory tracking and ensure that they go through the autoclave sterilization process. There are several autoclaves that use different sterilization methods. By tracking each tool separately, the hospital can ensure that all tools pass through the appropriate autoclave specified by the manufacturer. It is worth noting that not all RFID tags can survive the autoclaving process. Therefore, it is critical to choose equipment that ensures that all equipment is properly clean and sterile.

4. Disposable inventory tracking / out of stock: items such as gauze, disposable test papers, glove boxes and plastic vials are important disposable inventory items in the hospital and must be kept at hand. Because they are disposable and have low costs, it is not feasible to track them using high-cost RFID tags.

RFID inlays can provide cost-effective inventory solutions for these single-use items. These solutions can be stored in inventory rooms, shelf units, or RFID-equipped vending machines.

When tracking single-use items, some hospitals prefer to keep records of staff who use these items to ensure proper use of inventory and reduce careless waste or theft.

In this case, you can use the tracking person who uses the RFID tag on the badge with the inventory tracking application. RFID-enabled vending machines and other similar devices can be set to require reading RFID badges before releasing the list, and the system can be configured to send each employee a report on the list daily or monthly.

5. Asset tracking for large equipment: Hospital beds and other portable testing machines are high-value items in hospitals, which are occasionally lost or misplaced. In hospitals, tracking these items is critical because of the high cost of replacement. In addition, some of these assets are not yet available and will take some time to be replaced. Using an RFID system is an ideal way to track these assets in a building.

Because of the expensive and critical nature of these assets, if an RFID system is deployed, the hospital will often use an active RFID real-time location system (RTLS) to keep track of their location. Some hospitals implement the system to read only certain areas or rooms, while other hospitals set up their system to cover the entire corridor or floor.

6. Access control / personal tracking: Security is another aspect of people tracking hospital usage. Hospitals often use it to restrict access to certain rooms or areas to prevent people from wandering around the hospital.

For this type of system, staff must wave or tap their RFID-enabled badges in front of the door reader to gain access. This not only prevents unauthorized persons from entering the restricted area, but also provides a certain degree of security for patients, medicines and medical equipment to prevent theft or damage.

7. Laundry tracking: Towels, blankets and sheets are just a few examples of linen and textiles used in almost every hospital room. Before the next patient is admitted to the hospital, all these items must be cleaned and disinfected for use. An effective way to track these items and ensure their sterility is to use a system with RFID laundry tags.