RFID examples in healthcare

RFID technology is very popular in the healthcare industry. It provides great ease in handling many of the essential processes in healthcare facilities including hospitals. Below are examples of RFID technology used in healthcare.

• Supply chain inventory management

RFID solutions are used in supply chain inventory management in hospitals in the following ways:

• Improved utilization, visibility, and accuracy of inventory
• Reduce product waste, expiration, and shrinkage
• Reduce costs involved in supply chain and equipment
• Customized automated inventory tracking solutions with additional features to enhance the process.

• Patient identification, tracking, and medical records

Patients are given RFID-enabled wristbands so that hospitals can keep track of their locations and movements. It also stores the patient’s vital information including name, medical history, allergies, and so on.

Patient medical history and records can provide critical information required when doing surgical procedures. RFID-enabled wristbands can help track patient whereabouts, especially with those who suffer from memory loss and wander off by themselves in hospital corridors and stairs.

• Equipment identification and tracking

Hospitals maintain a large amount of equipment. It’s vital to identify and track the locations of equipment, especially mobile ones that keep changing from one location to another within the span of the day. RFID tags can even identify equipment that moves outside of the hospital.

RFID also helps identify equipment that require maintenance or not in working condition. It is especially vital for equipment in operating theaters, which need to be inspected regularly to avoid unplanned breakdowns.

All of this helps manage hospital operations seamlessly while providing high-quality patient care.

• Pharmaceutical and medicine tracking

Hospitals can manage and track pharmaceuticals using RFID solutions. RFID technology is helpful in identifying and notifying on the stock levels and expiration dates of medications. Medicines and pharmaceuticals play a vital role in hospitals which is why their management is critical for successful operations and high-quality patient care. Hospitals must maintain a consistent stock of vital medicines. Tracking of stocks is vital for medicines as they are essential items that are also high-priced. 

• Surgical tools sterilization tracking

Sterilization of surgical equipment is essential in a hospital. Surgical tools such as scissors and scalpels, need to be sterilized after each use as they can carry bacteria. Using unsterilized surgical tools could put the next patient, undergoing surgery, at risk. RFID technology enables tracking the tools that are not cleaned and disinfected after an operation. So, it ensures that no tools are left without being properly sterilized.

• Temperature monitoring

Monitoring the temperature of supply storages of hospitals is also vital. RFID solutions can monitor humidity and temperature levels in hospital refrigerators. These refrigerators are used to store essential items including food, medicine, and vaccines. It can also monitor and control humidity and temperature in operating rooms.

• Baby tagging

A light, small RFID-enabled tag can accurately monitor real-time location of babies in maternity, neonatal, and pediatric wards. It is essential to capture any attempt taken to move a baby out of specialized care units. It ensures the baby’s safety. Baby tagging using RFID technology also helps pair babies with their mothers. The allowed-out feature in the tag prevents accidental or intentional removal of a baby. It also sends alerts to prevent unauthorized removal of tags.

• Access control

RFID tags can help track location and movements of patients, medical staff, and visitors. It can help track visitor location and prevent them from accessing high-security areas within the hospital, such as operating theaters and inventories. It can also help locate where a patient or medical staff is at any given moment and prevent patients from moving out of their rooms or wards. Identifying and alerting on unauthorized access is one the primary access control tasks of RFID solutions.

• Forecast of patient flow and hospital admission rates

Analyzing the information collected via RFID can help hospitals predict the patient flow. It can also help plan the purchase of medical supply and equipment, and the hospital’s overall load. Based on this data, hospitals can plan on patient treatment schedules, staff workflows, and surgeries.

• Monitoring of suspicious behavior 

RFID tags can help identify any unusual behavior of patients. For example, it can detect when a patient is immobile for more than 15 minutes on the hospital’s stairs or corridors. It can also monitor suspicious behavior of visitors and even intruders. The system sends alerts to a nurse or administrative staff, when it detects suspicious behavior. The hospital staff can then take necessary actions accordingly, to prevent any issues from occurring.

• Patient-doctor interactions control

RFID technology makes use of software that gathers data on interactions between patients and medical staff. It helps ensure that patient care is provided in a timely manner and with the correct frequency. It can improve the quality of services provided by the hospital.