Hospitals Using RFID Technology to Track Patients and Assets Means Better Health Care Experiences

As hospitals search for an effective tracking system for both people and equipment, more and more of them are turning to RIFD (Radio Frequency ID) tags.

The tags are currently being used to track the location of doctors in hospitals, manage large and expensive medical equipment, and when attached to medical bracelets, manage and monitor the condition of patients. These tags use a wireless link to send patient data wirelessly on a continuous basis.

The tags are attached to a sticker, and communicate via radio waves. The waves can easily pass through most solid objects, so the tags don't need to be in the direct line of sight of a reader in order to transmit. This gives an incredible amount of flexibility for the person or object being monitored by the tag.

For hospital staff and caregivers, the tags can be placed on ID badges, ensuring that they go wherever the staff member goes. In the event of an emergency, it makes locating medical staff much easier and provides patients with quicker service when needed. To provide the most effective tracking for patents, tags with identical unique identifiers are attached both to the patient and their medical records.

Like bar codes found at your local store, the tags allow for real time checking on existing inventory, as a cost savings method. Information on the tags is transmitted to a cloud based system that provides continuous updates. It allows a hospital to know exactly how many of a particular asset they have at any time, eliminating the threat of being low or out of an item during a mission critical situation.

The readers can easily be placed at strategic locations, such as the hospital entrances and exits, major staging areas, staff offices and operating theaters. Staff can use a handheld wireless PDA as a reader.

Proponents of the tags argue that they provide a superior asset tracking system. The real time management of hospital inventory is key in making sure that cash strapped hospitals are able to successfully utilize their budgets. The data allows forecasting monthly and quarterly purchases by monitoring how quickly they are used.

In addition, the tags allow for more efficient patient monitoring, cutting down on the risk of death or malpractice. Patients can be closely monitored for drug intake, eliminating the need for nursing staff to constantly check on notations to avoid errors.

The tags have shown a promising future in blocking drug counterfeiting. In fact, the FDA released a report in February 2004 recommending the use of RIFDs to combat counterfeiting in hospitals. Many hospitals utilize the tags in tracking blood in order to eliminate the possibility of transfusion errors.

As hospitals increasingly use RIFDs in the daily business, companies like CG4 continue to provide asset tracking systems for tracking their patients, staff and assets.

About CG4:

CG4 provides customers a way to meet their asset tracking needs through mobile applications. No matter how small or large the need, CG4 has a way to help customers track and manage their assets.

For more information, contact CG4 at

1-877-747-4244