RFID and Its Applications in Healthcare

Introduction
After making its mark in the manufacturing and retail marketing, Healthcare is considered as the next home for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Although in its infancy, RFID has great potential in healthcare to significantly reduce cost, and improve patient safety and medical services. It is a disruptive technology that has broad applicability across the healthcare industry. With RFID, healthcare organizations (HCOs) can automate inefficient manual processes to help increase operational efficiency and improve the quality of patient care delivery. RFID enables HCOs to positively identify patients, accurately track mobile assets and patients, and optimize supply chain inventory management and logistics.

RFID Technology - Overview

RFID System Information Flow

RFID System Information FlowRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID system may consist of several components: tags/transponders, tag readers, antenna, and middleware/application software.

The purpose of an RFID system is to enable data to be transmitted by a mobile device, called a tag, which is read by an RFID reader and processed according to the needs of a particular application. The data transmitted by the tag may provide identification or location information, or specifics about the product tagged. The use of RFID in tracking and access applications first appeared in 1932, to identify aircraft as friendly or unfriendly ("identify friend or foe" (IFF)). RFID quickly gained attention because of its ability to track moving objects. As the technology is refined, more pervasive and possibly invasive uses for RFID tags are in the works.

In a typical RFID system, individual objects are equipped with a small, inexpensive tag. The tag contains a transponder with a digital memory chip that is given a unique electronic product code. The interrogator, an antenna packaged with a transceiver and decoder, emits a signal activating the RFID tag so it can read and write data to it. When an RFID tag passes through the electromagnetic zone, it detects the reader's activation signal. The reader decodes the data encoded in the tag's integrated circuit (silicon chip) and the data is passed to the host computer. The application software on the host processes the data, and may perform various filtering operations to reduce the numerous often redundant reads of the same tag to a smaller and more useful data set. RFID tags are of two types:

Passive RFID: A passive RFID tag does not have any battery, and harvests all of its power from the radio interrogation of the RFID reader. This provides enough power to respond to the reader. This yields a fairly low-cost device, but the read ranges are also fairly low (about 20 feet at maximum. in best operating conditions).

Active RFID: Active RFID tags have an attached battery so that they can respond to an RFID reader with more power. This is a more expensive tag than a passive RFID tag, but it also has a much longer maximum read range (up to 300 feet.).

Potential Uses of RFID in Healthcare

RFID is just beginning to make its way into health care, with several inventory management applications and an early implementation of patient bracelets that include RFID tags. Many future applications are likely. These include:

• Patients and Staff Tracking: RFID tags will allow the hospital to keep track of patient and staff location. For patients whose movements must be restricted, alerts can be sounded if they wander too far. It will ensure patient safety. Staff tracking will help in optimal utilization of resources and faster response to critical events.


• Asset Tracking: RFID tags will ensure traceability of hospital assets. It will reduce time to find assets, increase responsiveness and decrease idle time or staff waiting time. It will also increase utilization of the resource and will reduce thefts.


• Lab and pathology samples: Tissue and serum samples will be tagged as they are collected and tracked through the diagnostic and pathology labs.


• Blood Banking: Blood drawn in a blood bank will be collected in a tagged container and tracked through the system. It will help in better blood products management.


• Medical alert implants: Small, active RFID devices with substantial amounts of memory could be implanted in people with medical conditions. A paramedic with an interrogator
  would get instant information about pre-existing conditions, blood type, drug allergies, and so on.


• Pharmaceutical inventory and Medication delivery: Counterfeit drug prevention.


• Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit Management


• Cleaning/ Disinfection/ Sterilization Process

RFID Landscape

Conclusion
Healthcare organizations are investing in RFID solutions today to better understand the viability of the technology and to figure out how to leverage RFID to solve real problems within their organization. RFID in healthcare, although in its infancy, may have great potential to reduce operating costs and improve medical services and patient safety. The experience of manufacturers and retail marketers in implementing RFID can be consulted, but it cannot be transferred to hospitals without modification. The success of an RFID project depends on its strategy, the implementation process, the characteristics of the technology, the organizational context, and the stakeholders, who certainly include physicians and nurses. The value of a new technology is rooted in business, not in the technology itself.

References:
RFID: from Supply Chain to Patient Safety – Raj Veeramani, Director, UW E-Business Consortium

RFID applications in hospitals: a case study on a demonstration RFID project in a Taiwan hospital

RFID Journal

Technology Foresight: Electronic Tags - RFID Will Track Everything by Robert Mittman

Bearing Point-Alliance Report

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