wilamowski-b-m-irwin-j-d-industrial-communication-systems-2011

RFID Technology and Its Industrial Applications 9-7
Again, in this case, RFID technology resolves the above-mentioned problem. Tagging each medicinal
equipment helps in keeping an updated record of equipment. RFID reader is generally used for reading
the RFID tags, and for real-time equipment tracking, the facility should have an RFID reader network.
In this way, any device can be located when needed. The staff can know where in the facility a certain
piece of equipment is located, when they really need to have it. The result is less time wasted, better
utilization of existing assets, and improvement of patient care. However, care should be taken when
implementing an RFID zone in hospitals so that it does not interfere with other medical equipments
operating in similar frequencies.
9.3.5 Patient Tracking
Patient tracking is quite a big issue nowadays in hospitals and health-care facilities. Presently, the
patient’s record management is either done manually or electronically in various parts of the world. But
to track the medical records of an individual patient, especially during intercountry or intracountry
travel, needs some quicker tracking ways to manage the information much more efficiently [HEA09].
As we have seen that RFID did its best in medicinal equipment tracking, it can also be used for patient
tracking in hospital. The system can be designed to track hospital assets, curb excess expenditures,
increase safety, and ensure security and access control by placing small RFID devices, or “RFID tags”
on people and objects. In hospitals, emergency medical services find difficulty in tracking the patients,
especially during the time of responding to emergencies. There must be some system that enables the
emergency units to efficiently track the patients and medicinal assets in order to fully benefit the patients.
As the institution is responsible for patient’s health, sometimes patients are found missing from their
beds, and medical staff find it difficult in locating them. In their search, they spend much time and, in
the process, the patient may sometimes even miss his or her medicinal dose. RFID makes tracking and
finding patients easier. Administering bedside care is safer, faster, because of real-time and accurate
identification and verification of patient.
• RFID-embedded bracelets can be read through bed linens, so patients do not have to be disturbed
when sleeping.
• RFID-embedded bracelets communicates with the reader network so this equipment helps in
patient’s tracking and ensures patients do not stray beyond a predetermined perimeter.
• RFID bracelets contains the patient’s secret ID, which is linked to the database for getting the
complete patient’s record.
9.3.6 Newborn Baby Tracking
Another area where RFID possibly show its miracle is its use in maternity ward. Maternity ward is a
place of happiness where the newborn babies are welcomed. Not only the families but also staff members
are celebrating the arrival of the newborn [HEA09,DA03]. But, if the maternity ward is handling many
cases at one time, the possible mix-up of mother and newborn might happen accidently; the wrong baby
being sent to the wrong mother for the crucial early bonding period, breast-feeding, etc. In this situation
as well, RFID technology can play a vital role in keeping record of mother and her newborn. To
the mother, an RFID tag, with a unique ID, is attached during admission and this ID will be used for
tracking all the processes relevant to that labor. And, once the child is born, an ankle RFID tag (unique
ID referenced to child’s mother) is attached so as to identify the child’s mother. Thus, in this way, RFID
prevents the child and mother mix-up in a simple manner.
9.3.7 tracking Children
Fear of children abduction is a serious issue nowadays and is the biggest threat to parents as well. To track
abducted children, the only way is a phone call from the abductors. A fashion designer in California has
© 2011 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC