RTLS Hospital Asset Tracking
Managing hospital medical device inventory with an RLS asset tracking system
Keeping track of assets across a hospital is a vital element of maintaining smooth operations and ensuring the best possible care can be provided.
Tools like spreadsheets and paper based systems allow staff to record and log the whereabouts of equipment, but it requires manual input to remain up-to-date.
By using RFID technology to inventory and track medical equipment and other hospital assets, the real-time location of items becomes entirely automated and reliably accurate, allowing staff to focus on what matters most: providing high-quality healthcare to patients.
TACKLING HEALTHCARE ASSET TRACKING CHALLENGES WITH RTLS
When it comes to managing the numerous medical devices regularly needed across a hospital, many facilities find they are encountering the same challenges, stemming from similar difficulties:
- Healthcare providers lack sufficient equipment to meet the needs of the floor or department
- Limited number of Nursing Assistants delays delivery of devices
- There is typically more than enough equipment for each patient, but in the wrong place
- A lack of trust around equipment management leads to hoarding
- Inefficient management of maintenance needlessly ties up equipment
- Lack of reporting and alerting to PAR-level adherence
Fitting RFID tags to medical equipment alleviates much of the strain placed on hospital staff by making assets easily trackable, both in regard to their specific location and status.
Paired with a comprehensive asset tracking software, assets can be located with ease.
With AiRISTA’s RTLS solution — Unified Vision Solution — assets are managed via useful dashboards with direct access to maps, equipment status and other relevant information.
The solution leverages your existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, making it unobtrusive in implementation and fully integrated into your pre-existing working structure.
AiRISTA – Top 6 Asset Tracking Use Cases
Hospital Asset Tracking Components
HOW DOES HOSPITAL ASSET TRACKING WORK?
Hospital asset tracking begins with equipment inventory, all of which is centralized in a software platform that creates a singular, accessible source of information for staff to find, track and record the status of assets throughout the hospital.
With AiRISTA’s end-to-end Unified Vision Solution, you can create a rich workflow engine with the flexibility to be customized to suit your specific needs and mitigate the challenges faced by staff.
Layered on top of this is the use of AiRISTA air tags fitted to medical devices and assets that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Wi-Fi technology to connect. The solution also integrates with third-party devices, like passive RFID tags and readers.
Medical assets can be any piece of equipment used for diagnosis, therapy, monitoring, rehabilitation or care. The prime candidates for RFID tags are any pieces of equipment that are regularly moved and shared across departments.
The combination of software and RFID tracking tags creates an all-encompassing solution to hospital asset tracking and management.
A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE: EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF IV PUMPS
The AiRISTA RTLS solution was deployed by a hospital to increase asset utilization rates for IV pumps.
- Increase in asset utilization rates from 32% to 65%
- Reduction in IV pump purchase from 1200 to 780 devices.
Utilization statistics show the average hospital requires an average of 2.5 IV pumps per room, well more than one extra per pump in use. And if asked, most clinical staff would want more.
Due to inefficient maintenance management, hoarding, “lost”, and non-strategic placement, utilization rates in the low 30% range are accepted.
Customers Manage Assets More Effectively
MEDICAL ASSET INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Tracking medical devices with RTLS allows medical asset managers to not only improve inventory keeping and increase visibility of where equipment is located, but also distribute items more strategically across the hospital.
Using data gathered from RTLS tracking in a healthcare facility, it becomes easier to identify high asset volume areas. The most relevant and necessary resources can then be deployed to hot zones to increase usage and reduce the need for additional equipment purchases.
By tracking medical assets with a combination of RFID tags and advanced equipment inventory software, you’re able to better optimize their usage and maintenance.
A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
A 380-bed regional medical center with a pre RTLS deployment inventory of 1200 IV pumps with an in-use rate of 30%.
- After deployment of the AiRISTA Flow solution, the “in-use” rate increased to 65%
- The most recent IV pump purchase was reduced to 780 IV pumps resulting in a savings greater than $1MM.
Deployment Details
Management Platform: AiRISTA UVS
Infrastructure: Existing Cisco WiFi infrastructure
Asset RTLS Tags: AiRISTA Flow A4 WiFi/BLE Asset Tag
Integrations: Alaris XYZ System
Deployment time: 21 days
Named LEADER in Gartner 2022 Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location
According to Gartner
- Vendors in the Leaders quadrant will have demonstrated an ability to fulfil a broad variety of customer requirements through the breadth of their indoor location service solutions.
- Leaders will have the ability to provide complete and differentiating capabilities as part of their indoor location offerings. This includes global service and support.
- Leaders should have demonstrated the ability to shape the market, maintain strong relationships with their channels and customers, and have no obvious gaps in their portfolios.
SEE HOW AIRISTA CAN HELP YOU
Want to find out more about how AiRISTA’s RTLS solution could benefit your hospital?
Book a demo with our specialists today.