RFID in Healthcare –A panacea for the regulations and issues affecting the industry?

Patient identification and location assistance are often needed to ensure patient safety when urgent medical attention is needed. Patient tags with RFID chips will meet this need.

Hospitals currently have to track radioactive isotopes throughout the facility from storage to transport and then from administration to disposal. RFID tags and readers can automate these tasks thereby saving time and resources.

Active RFID tags with read/write capabilities can be used to detect seal integrity for containers and individual packages. The tag can record the time and duration of seal loss, allowing even problems that occur mid-shipment to be detected.

Large amounts of inventory typically can be found in hospital operating rooms. Lack of visibility in the supply chain coupled with the unauthorized purchase of certain items often results in the proliferation of “unofficial” inventory that could be reduced by properly managing the materiel ordering process. RFID technology can provide an accurate account of both official and unofficial inventory levels. Proper diagnosis of the problem will drive the implementation of corrective solutions.

Following the example of leading retailers, hospitals could move to the next generation of supply chain management by having their suppliers manage product ordering and inventory levels. Hospital suppliers would then be responsible for providing product on a timely basis through RFID technology. A dramatic shift in how hospital supplies are ordered could drive down hospital inventory levels assuming the proper processes and metrics are in place.

Key barriers to RFID adoption stem from previously high technologycosts. Payback periods have typically been too long. Companies arewaiting for RFID technology to drop in price, thus making it a more affordable investment. Lean information technology budgets mean that new technologies need to demonstrate compelling business cases and short paybacks on investments. Companies are skeptical if the costs cannot be offset by the promised benefits.