A high performance wireless network can help hospitals in numerous ways. Many benefits of wireless focus around improving quality care, decreasing hospital expenses, and increasing communication between patients, doctors and hospital staff. Here are just three main benefits of mobility in healthcare:
1) Asset Tracking & Inventory Management
With RFID technology, hospitals can easily reduce the cost associated with loss of medical equipment, such as wheel chairs, infusion pumps and computers-on-wheels. Real Time Tracking capability also allows hospital staff the ability to locate these items quickly. This helps eliminate time spent wasted looking for particular items.
One of the most effective ways to increase profits is to control or reduce costs. For a hospital, real-time inventory management plays a strong role in cost control. With a clear view into the supply chain, hospitals can control the movement of their assets and maximize the utility of stock locations, such as available or used prescription drug counts.
2) Quality of Patient care and Clinical Communications
There are many ways that wireless can help increase the quality of patient care. The mobility that doctors have allow them to be present with any patient in any hospital via video conferencing and allows them to view real time patient information instantly. As mobility increases the efficiency of hospital staff, patient care becomes more focused, providing increasing quality and standards.
Better communication means better care. When clinicians communicate easily, they can diagnose and treat patients more quickly. Clinicians get lab results as soon as they’re ready. They can easily access vast medical databases from their smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Ultimately, patient outcomes improve.
3) Patient & Staff Safety
Using Wi-Fi RTLS can easily reduce the amount of safety incidents and improve safety and peace of mind for clinical staff. Many patients, including psychiatric patients, trauma patients and the elderly may pose a risk to themselves by wandering or leaving their hospital bed. Keeping track of any wandering patients can sometimes be the difference between life or death for that patient.
By leveraging a hospitals existing Wi-Fi network, Wi-Fi RTLS locates all tagged patients at any time, anywhere within the footprint of the network. If a patient is in his room or on his assigned floor, RTLS will locate them. Should a patient walk into the fire escape, Wi-Fi RTLS will alert staff and security about the event.
Mobility in hospitals can solve many problems that healthcare faces today. Here at SecurEdge Networks, we can help plan and design your complete wireless network, including using your existing wireless network for RTLS. Get started today by contacting us about a Free Consultation or download our free hospital wireless network design guide.
