Wireless Tagging Companies In Healthcare Push

Nice to be able to find all the equipment in the hospital by using a simple computer screen, especially in the case of an emergency and it also helps with keeping equipment from walking out the door...RFID technology stands to save thousands of dollars in lost equipment alone each year...BD

A real-time location system (RTLS) that can read thousands of small, active RFID tags per second through multiple walls with a precision of 12-36 inches, was launched at The Active RFID & RTLS Summit by Time Domain Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama. Time Domain's new Precision Location Ultra Wideband System (PLUS) product line employs the company's patented ultra wideband technology that will enable RTLS solutions to move from an "approximate presence" technology to a solution that precisely locates and monitors the interaction of people and assets for a host of new healthcare, retail, logistics and security applications.

Meanwhile The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center recently announced it has selected San Diego-based Awarepoint's Real-time Awareness Solution as their asset tracking partner. After a rigorous evaluation process, Awarepoint's RFID real-time location system (RTLS) was chosen to efficiently track the location, status and movement of the hospital's mobile medical equipment.

Patient Transport Application

At 400 beds and 1,500 employees, this Medical Center is one of the most comprehensive facilities in Southern California. The hospital is known for its quality cardiology, oncology, bariatrics, orthopedics and women’s health services.
Challenge: Patient transport is often delayed when a wheelchair or gurney cannot be located. Transport “bottlenecks” negatively impact patient flow and experience.
Solution: The facility piloted Awarepoint’s asset tracking system on wheelchairs, gurneys and transport personnel to review operational efficiency.
Benefits Achieved: Transport efficiency problems were quickly uncovered, and results were immediate. Total number of transports increased by 9.3% while the number of excessive delays associated with patient transport was reduced by over 50%.