Think of home security systems that, via the Internet, monitor a doorbell in real time. Health care providers have become accustomed to using cell phones and computers to, say, text instructions to nursing staff while attending a conference presentation, or to search for latest FDA clinical recommendations on their tablets.Ĭ linical-grade RTLS technology can deliver precise location data by segmenting spaces into clinically meaningful zones, such as patient rooms, beds, bays, nursing stations, and other relevant workflow areas.” The author adds, “In doing so, the technology delivers location and condition information at rapid speeds, so caretakers can take actions quickly - at the press of a button.īut there is another major type of connectivity that may be less obvious despite its ubiquity: the Internet of Things (IoT), defined as “the networking capability that allows information to be sent to and received from objects and devices using the Internet.” The word “medical” is added to describe this connectivity powerhouse in the field, coining the term MIoT.īasically, any number of things with an on-off switch can be connected to the Internet – and to each other. To the Rescue: The Internet of Things & Real-Time Locating Systems Is there any way to implement micro-tracking of such a common object in pursuit of macro-efficiency possible? Meet IoT, the Internet of Things. That’s a lot of fallout from a wayward wheelchair. According to the article, the problem will persist until adjustments are made to supply chains “… so that staff have the specific materials and equipment needed for patients’ individual care plans, when they are needed.” and Canada,” concluded that health care professionals will face barriers to providing vital patient-centered care if the current supply situation is not remedied. In an article in the Harvard Business Review titled “An Obstacle to Patient-Centered Care: Poor Supply System,” the author, “after hundreds of hours of observations in hospitals throughout the U.S. Portable computers harboring patient records.Īccording to a 2018 report, of provider respondents to a national survey, “nearly half … revealed that they’ve actually cancelled a case, and more than two-thirds (69 percent) have delayed a case because of missing supplies.” In addition, according to the survey results, “27 percent have seen or heard of an expired product being used on a patient, and 23 percent have seen or heard of a patient harmed due to a lack of supplies.” It’s impossible to calculate the lost revenue, increased patient and provider stress, time wasted, or chaos-induced cancellations.Īnd if that calculation seems impossible, just imagine tallying the myriad snafus caused by every single lost, missing, stolen, or simply under-stocked piece of medical equipment. Multiply that single delayed discharge by 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 for every lost/unaccounted wheelchair, every day, in every hospital worldwide. Such discharge and other administrative delays have become the norm in both the U.S. So, a discharge delay might be blamed on a dearth of the devices in the facility on the other hand, there might be an empty one five feet away in a hallway. According to some estimates, up to 25 percent of wheelchairs in U.S. The culprit? It just might just be the wheelchair. Everyone’s stress level rises as quality of care, inevitably, dips. The patient’s ride home arrives promptly, the discharge paperwork is drawn up, the sanitation crew stands by, the health care team moves on to other patients.Īnd then, inexplicably, everything grinds to a screeching halt.Īs the hours tick by, the patient becomes anxious potential ED admissions, post-surgical, and ICU-to-step-down transfers are delayed the medical record cannot be closed the authorized length-of-stay is exceeded and the backlog of incoming and outgoing patients continues to rise exponentially as overcrowding ensues. It’s morning, and the patient is cleared to go, IV and monitors are removed, and release is imminent. The Saga of a WheelchairĪnyone involved with a hospital discharge knows the drill. Case-in-point: the ubiquitous hospital wheelchair. The above shortages may seem extreme, but disruptions in locating even the most mundane of medical object can have serious consequences. Medical equipment all too often winds up lost, stolen, in short supply, or simply classified as “whereabouts unknown.” “According to some estimates, up to 25 percent of wheelchairs in U.S. It may seem ludicrous, but these scenarios are playing out frequently in U.S. Or an emergency room with no available stretchers, clean linens, or exam gloves. Imagine a surgical team prepping the operating room only to find no oxygen masks, scalpels, nor intravenous pumps on hand.
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