RFID Patient Tracking

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses radio waves to identify different objects.  There are a wide range of uses for RFID technology, from identifying retail products to tagging surgical instruments to locating patients.  RFID technology has grown in its uses and importance in many industries.  As more and more businesses started utilizing RFID technology, the RFID solution itself became much more reliable, easy to use, and less expensive.  Many hospitals and healthcare facilities have expanded the use of RFID technology to include tracking patients, maintaining inventory, locating equipment, and monitoring medications. 

A key use of RFID in the healthcare field, is its use in patient tracking.  The Food and Drug Administration began a final review of the use of RFID technology in patient care in July of 2004.  RFID patient tracking technology has been utilized in a number of different ways in hospitals and healthcare centers since it was first tested.  The SurgiChip for instance, is an RFID patient tracking chip that is used in operating rooms.  The chip is placed in a type of label that is adhered to the patient’s skin near the area to be operated on.  A nurse or doctor can use a hand held reader to retrieve information about the patient before surgery, which will help prevent operating room errors.  RFID technology can help hospitals run more efficiently and prevent mistakes in patient treatment.

RFID patient tracking is one of the fastest growing ways to manage an efficient hospital.  Over crowding in Emergency Rooms can lead to confusion and mismanaged patient care, yet an RFID patient tracking system allows hospital workers to track patients movements, thus making it easier to locate patients in a timely manner.  RFID patient tracking technology can be embedded into a patients wristband, making them easy to wear, and difficult to lose.  This system can ease congestion in hospitals in more ways then just keeping track of patients’ locations.  Hospital workers can use RFID patient tracking to maintain accurate records of which rooms are in use, which have the shortest wait time, and which rooms open up.  During delays in the Emergency Room, hospitals can send patients in need of CT scans or x-rays to the rooms with the shortest line, eliminating a lot of confusion and wait time, and helping manage an efficient hospital.

RFID patient tracking scanners can be affixed throughout the hospital, and can help track patients within certain areas.  When the scanner is used, the RFID tag on the patient’s wristband will transmit information about that person’s location, as well as allow hospital workers to retrieve medical records and data for the patient.  These tags can help doctors and nurses obtain and maintain accurate medical records.  When a medicine is to be administered to a patient, the RFID patient trackingsoftware will retrieve the patient’s medical records and can alert the doctor of any potential interactions with other medications the patient is on.  The software will also update the electronic medical records, so that even in a busy hospital, patient safety and health can be accurately monitored. 

The ability to locate a patient, update their files, or check their medical records, all with the use of a simple chip and reader, is something that all healthcare operations can utilize.  Hospitals and other health care facilities can benefit from RFID patient tracking technology, and is something that can improve the management and overall operations of a company.  RFID technology is one of the fastest growing industries today, with new uses of this software being discovered daily.