RFID Tracking: How it can improve processes in the hospital
Losing track:
Ask anyone who works in a hospital, they will tell you how it is a demanding and hectic environment, and a lot of staff can feel like they are losing track of everything from patients, specimen samples to medical equipment. Why? Because a lot of data capture processes in the hospital remain manual leaving them prone to errors which can lead to serious consequences for patient care and safety.
Studies by Zebra Technologies and IDG show that out of the hospitals surveyed 70% still use handwritten wristbands. According to an NHS Patient Safety Agency between February 2006 and January 2007, the NPSA received 24,382 reports of patients being mismatched with their care. More than 2,900 of these related to wristbands and their use. That is why it is important for the healthcare industry to search for solutions that will reduce instances of a misplaced samples, equipment, and even patients.
Keep on track with RFID technology:
RFID technology is fast becoming a solution to these issues in the healthcare sector, with acute hospitals in Ireland adopting RFID technology for tracking of patients with RFID enabled wristbands, tracking of specimen sample from the operating room to the lab all with RFID labels. RFID technology is even being used to track medical equipment, allowing the hospital to analyse the usage and maintenance history, ensuring that the medical equipment is being used correctly and checked regularly.
This again can be seen in the study done by Zebra Technologies and IDG which states just under 90% of hospitals use or plan to use barcoding for asset labelling and more than four-fifths say the same with regard to RFID.
Visit our RFID tracking in healthcare and watch our collaborative animation with GS1 Ireland and ASD explaining how RFID works and how it can improve processes within the hospital.
