The thin line is severely understated in the extremely stressful conditions of a contemporary hospital. Although traditional barcodes were an improvement, the new trend in the industry is shifting to RFID-enabled patient wristbands.
This technology introduces a digital tether between the patient and the ecosystem of the hospital, which, in essence, enhances safety measures, as well as the operating throughput.
How do RFID wristbands improve patient identification and safety?
In comparison to barcodes, where one may need to have a direct line of sight and may not be able to scan a moving patient or a sleeping patient, RFID wristbands can be scanned through blankets or at a distance.
This guarantees full correct identification of the patient in times of need, like when administering medication, when a blood transfusion is needed, or even during surgical site verification.
Automating the match between the patient and his electronic health record (EHR) by RFID asset tracking warehouse, which is the tech that can be replicated in hospitals. It eradicates the possibility of human error in manual checking.
How does RFID technology optimize hospital workflow and bed management?
RFID wristbands are part of Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS). When a patient is taken out of the ER into a diagnostic suite or an operating room, the patient automatically gets his status updated in the hospital management system.
This can eradicate the manual "status entries" by the nursing personnel and minimize telephone-tag administration. The administrators of the hospital are provided with a real-time picture of the bed occupancy, which means that they are able to make quicker admissions of patients and have fewer waits in emergency departments.
In what ways does RFID assist in managing "at-risk" patient populations?
In cases where the patients are cognitively impaired, that is, those with dementia, or infants within the neonatal department, RFID wristbands offer the much-needed security measure.
The so-called "Wander management" systems could activate instant alarms or lock a certain exit when a patient leaves a designated safe area.
This automated surveillance will also enable the staff to concentrate on clinical care and not on physical surveillance in place, as they will have a better level of security without infringing on patient dignity.
Can RFID wristbands reduce surgical errors and "wrong-site" procedures?
Yes. Hospitals can use RFID to ensure that the right patient is in the right operating theater, carrying out the right procedure by incorporating or adding an RFID personnel tracking system into the perioperative operations.
The system could be programmed to verify the wristband of the patient with the schedule of the surgical team and the equipment that is pre-prepared in the room.
In case of discrepancy, there should be an audiovisual signal, which will be used to indicate that the system identifies a discrepancy and serves as a last-minute, automated time-out before legitimate commencement of a given procedure.
Conclusion
The RFID wristbands become the mute support of a modern place, a smart hospital. They address the twin problem of ensuring that the lives of patients are safeguarded and, at the same time, simplify the intricate clinical processes by substituting passive with active and real-time information.
To the healthcare facilities, the RFID adoption is an evolution to a more reactive, error-free place where technology does the work of moving the materials so that clinicians can concentrate on the healing part.
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