Posted by Paul Roebuck on Wed, May 19, 2010 @ 12:10 PM
Over the recent years RFID has ridden a roller coaster wave of acceptance analogous to a radio wave with a slow rise to the tops and extended bottoms. Consumer recognition for this technology came with edicts from the Wal-Mart and DOD establishing standards for mandatory implementation on incoming products initially from all suppliers.
Only in the last few years have the commercial early adopters been successful to use RFID in closed loop projects.
New applications in healthcare vary and are not limited to some of the following:
Various applications of asset tracking:
- Tracking mission critical assets to assure location, calibration, maintenance and utilization.
- Emergency vehicles tracking that all necessary and assigned assets, e.g. defibrillator, back boards, stretcher, two way radio, hand held computer, oxygen tank, protocol manuals and logs, are in place and in specification.
- Emergency vehicles tracking consumption of medical supplies during a shift to radio back to headquarters for immediate and complete restocking prior to the next shift.
- Pharmacies tracking distribution and accurate utilization of medicines from the shelf to the patient with assurance of administration of the right drug, at the right time to the right patient in the right dosage.
It "depends" upon your perspective as to the value of this latest application of RFID.
An Australian firm, Simavita, has introduced and tested RFID under garments in 20 plus Australian Elder Care Centers. These electronic undergarments get to the bottom of a situation that affects quality of care, dignity, as well as efficient utilization of senior care personnel and reduces care management costs.
Simavita's Smart Incontinence Management System (SIMsystem) utilizes a customized continence pad worn by aged-care residents. The under garment is embedded with wireless ZigBee-based moisture-detecting sensors.
The solution, under first consideration, would seem to be expensive and difficult to implement and sustain. After testing in twenty centers, the Australian Government is supporting a roll out to another 200 sites.
Their studies indicate that 80% of the residents at Elder Care Facilities are affected by incontinence. Simavita's trial data indicated that their SIMSystem saved up to $2000 in labor costs per bed, per annum.
Their system offers significant benefits for the elderly and caregivers alike:
- Patient:
- Less unnecessary investigations
- Improved quality of life and dignity
- Better personalized care
- Employees
- Fewer false occurrences
- Less documentation
- Fewer health and safety risks to the patient and care givers from handling the patient
- More time available to direct care to the seniors
- Elder Care Facility Management
- Reduced labor costs
- Improved staff productivity
- Reduced laundry cost
- Lower pad consumption
- Evidence of compliance for accreditation and reimbursement
Given the positive outcomes the SIMsystem solution will be going global soon. Allied Integrated Services, http://www.allied-is.com/, is pursing the opportunity to be a US licensee.
Reference the complete article at http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/7558/3 .
Paul Roebuck, paul_roebuck@allied-is.com , is the general manager of Allied Integrated Services. AIS is an AIDC and RFID process improvement and solution provider that focuses on the Healthcare and Elder Care markets.