RFID Hospital Patient Tracking - Safety, Security and Privacy

With the advent of the digital age coming on us, many things were developed as well. This includes the radio frequency identification (RFID) system which was first used in tagging goods and animals in transport. Today, we now have a working system that includes the RFID hospital patient tracking system.

By far, this type of identification for security purposes that had spread to include people as its subjects had been a success for many reasons. Security and safety are still the primary considerations, but the system had undergone some more sophisticated upgrades from its older versions.

Applications

One big reason why hospitals and other medical facilities are giving patients ID tags with individual radio frequencies is simply for faster search in locating them. Some special cases include patients with dementia and with Alzheimer’s. However, the other patients share some of the reasons for the data on their tags.

The big one is bodily monitoring. The targets are out-of-bed detection (including fall off) for in-bed patients. The stored data also have the patient’s medical history, including current medications and correct dosages, the schedules, etc. the idea is to prevent wrong medications.

Data

The important data actually is about the patient’s medical status. They might be in schedules for their treatments that need strict times of the day to be administered. They might on X-ray schedule, or some other important medical procedures (including surgery) that need to be on schedule.

The patient on an RFID hospital patient tracking might require a medical once-over by the attending doctor. The stored readings on the ID will greatly help the medical authority to refer to which might include the patient’s current conditions.

Restrictions

Some of the tag date might be related to the patient’s movements within the hospital premises. Doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel have their own tags to monitor their movements inside the facility.

Patient tags sometimes have their own strict restriction access to many things in the facility: drugs, pediatric areas, and other high-threat places with the authorized staff. Likewise, these patient tags will isolate them from other persons who are inside the facility but are not authorized to do so. These people, mostly outsiders, are not allowed to loiter around, much less in high-threat areas.

Restricting access to authorized staff and other approved personnel (including patients, sometimes) during medical emergencies can result in the orderly traffic of people (patients and the others). The emergencies might include epidemics, terrorist threats, and sudden influx of multiple accident victims.

Without restrictions, the hospital cannot deliver its proper services because of confusion and the absence of systems in place.

Other RFID uses

The ID tags also carry with them other information that is needed for many things. These include the checking in and out of the facility, recorded medication history, the services rendered to the patient, and the recording of the patient’s vitals including biometrics and time stamping.

An RFID hospital patient tracking is one very important necessity in linking to the hospital’s needed services and other aspects that concern his or her individual privacy, security and personal safety.

RFID Hospital Patient Tracking - Active Uses

 RFID technology has come a long way since the days they were first used to tag equipments, vehicles, expensive animals being moved and some that are stored. These days, the RFID hospital patient tracking system is a top-line technology and is quite effective in its designated use.

These days, the RFIDs are also used not just to track patients but also used in tracking doctors and expensive medical equipments. These tags are attached onto ID bracelets worn by all concerned.  Sometimes, they are exclusively used on patients requiring special attention whose locations are constantly monitored.

The systems are now provided with electronic links for wireless communication of patient data. Medical authorities can do an instant assessment on critical equipments and people or their locations through GPS-blended RFIDs.

Benefits

The benefits of the rfid hospital patient tracking are immediate and practical. First, is the continuous tracking of each patient’s location. On equipments, authorities don’t lose connection with their expensive instruments and equipments.

Also, with the tracking device at work, no unauthorized person can enter designated restricted areas of the hospital (pediatrics, drugs, etc.). Sometimes, some areas are altogether restricted not just patients but including hospital personnel. These are in times of emergencies, terrorist threats, epidemics and other extreme cases.

The latest models have transponders embedded in them to allow recording of the some patient information, usually including health history and allergies, if any. The RFID tags can be used to access the information for review and updates. 

Tracking files

Usually, the patient’s files contain important data like address, medical details, health history, allergies, prescriptions, clinical reports, test results and certificates, name of attending doctors, and insurance company details.

The technology uses the unique code and handheld readers that can communicate with the tags embedded in the files and locating them. This effectively reduces the human factor and consequently manpower reduction. In the meantime, the patient is immediately cared for.  

The RFID is usually made of high-resistant plastic material with a single-use clasp and a transponder embedded in it. The tag effective allows the tracking, identification and location of the patient. The system can limit their departure or access to certain areas in the facility.

ER patient tracking
One other significant use of RFID is centered on the patient’s whereabouts and condition after treatment and care at the hospital’s emergency room. The tracking software is integrated with the hospital’s own ED system where they are given an RFID tag. (This also integrates with the RFID tags worn by physicians and other ED staff.)

After the tags have been time-stamped, all the other patient information is sent to the system. Those with acute conditions are helped by the tracking system to get the hospital’s critical quality metrics and are immediately administered with the correct processes.

As the patient moves around, the system sends real-time updates. The staff can view the patient’s location on large-screen tracking grid at individual stations or on their mobile devices. This is the gist of the RFID hospital patient tracking at work.