Revolutionizing Healthcare: The Power of Real-Time Location System

Managing a healthcare facility is quite tricky because of its nature. Healthcare administrators face ongoing challenges relating to the safety of their institution, the satisfaction of their workers, the standard of care given to patients, and the expensive operational inefficiencies that influence their bottom line. 

Innovation in information technology (IT) for healthcare is frequently mentioned as a potential means of improvement. Technology that can enhance patient safety and assist efficient business operations is a goal that innovators pursue often. But what is one of the best approaches to dealing with these issues? This is where Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) comes in. 

In this article, we want to discuss how RLTS is revolutionizing healthcare. But before that, let’s discuss RTLS in healthcare.

What is a Real-Time Location System in healthcare?

In many kinds of patient care facilities, Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) are used to track and manage patients, employees, and medical equipment immediately or in real-time. Although the location systems don’t use position data obtained by satellite trilateration, they can be compared to an “indoor GPS” for hospitals. Accurate location technology that seamlessly connects with other Healthcare IT solutions, however, makes it possible for facilities to enhance productivity, cut expenses, and boost clinical quality in addition to finding tagged assets. 

The adoption of numerous use cases is facilitated by RTLS solutions thanks to the integration of various tags and badges, technology platforms, hardware infrastructure, and other elements (such as servers, middleware, and end-user software).

How RTLS is changing healthcare

Many healthcare facility owners might not understand just how crucial RTLS for  hospitals is and how it can help them manage the facility efficiently and streamline processes. If you are in this category, then keep on reading this guide. Here is how RTLS can benefit the healthcare sector.

1. Keeping track of medical equipment

It can be challenging to keep track of portable medical equipment like ICU ventilators, IV pumps, and defibrillators to ensure their accessibility and when needed. Frequently, workers are unaware that such supplies are urgently required in one area of a facility but are sitting idle in another.

In addition, research found that 20% of a hospital’s equipment completely disappears from the inventory each year as a result of lost or missing goods. Staff workers frequently turn to “hoarding” essential supplies in order to make sure they are always on hand in an emergency when they can’t quickly locate them. In order to ensure that gadgets are available and when needed, hospitals must purchase more equipment than they actually need.

With RTLS, such things can be located more quickly and easily while using a lot less staff time. Staff personnel can bring up location information on a display to find the products they’re looking for instead of having to explore a facility for the equipment they need manually. That skill can literally be the difference between life and death in an emergency when time is of importance. Additionally, the issue of hoarding is greatly diminished because RTLS alleviates the worry of medical staff that they won’t be able to obtain necessary equipment in a timely manner.

2. Protecting the staff and patients

Large, multi-level buildings and emergency rooms benefit from RTLS solutions. For instance, some RFID tags feature covert push buttons that let staff members activate an alarm in the event of a violent incident.

RTLS aids caretakers in locating patients who are likely to wander or who move between different places for different treatments. Hospitals with a nurse shortage employ RTLS and IoT devices to assist managers in finding staff members right away. Furthermore, using RTLS for patient monitoring and infusion equipment enhances patient safety while saving medical staff time.

3. Improving patient experience

Not only can RTLS technology improve patient safety, but it can also improve their experience and satisfaction. A strong patient experience adds to their health outcomes, according to about half of patients polled in fall 2022 by The Beryl Institute, and 35% of those surveyed said it will affect their future healthcare decisions. This data could persuade a hospital or health system to invest in RTLS technologies, which might improve patient happiness.

4. Streamlining workflow

Monitoring patient flow for management can also assist in identifying and resolving bottlenecks. Common patient complaints can be addressed with appropriate treatments that are individualized and closely watched, such as:

• Extended wait times.
• Post-anesthesia care units, emergency rooms, and outpatient clinics are all overcrowded.
• Rescheduled or postponed surgeries.
• Not enough patient beds available.

The truth is that patients in hospitals are moving pretty much all the time. There is a lot of potential for delays or mistakes, including with X-rays, moving around for rehabilitation, or switching between perioperative milestones. Patients will be more satisfied and experience less stress during their stay in the departments that can operate more effectively, thanks to real-time location systems.

Wrapping it up

Your healthcare workflows will be safer, more productive, and less expensive after using RTLS. Additionally, IoT devices and real-time location systems provide the data needed for decision-making, empowering administrators to make swift decisions.