What is IoT-Enabled Hospital Equipment Tracking?

Hospital equipment tracking, also known as a medical Real-Time Locating Solution (RTLS), is a subset of asset tracking, which uses active or passive RF-based tags and IoT-enabled sensors to monitor the location and utilization of hospital equipment to increase efficiency and deter equipment theft or loss.

Value Proposition

Tracking down medical equipment, especially in emergency situations, can be costly both in staff hours and lives. According to a survey of 1000 nurses, nurses spend up to 40 hours per month looking for equipment that has been lost or misplaced. While traditional methods utilize digital or on-paper check-out systems, the process can be easily forgotten when a piece of equipment is needed urgently, and while rushing between rooms, tools can be sometimes left behind.

These solutions ensure that no matter where equipment is left, staff can find and utilize it – eliminating the need for duplicate equipment rental, saving hours of time spent searching, and allowing staff to spend more time with patients.

How it Works

Hospital equipment tracking solutions tag medical devices and tools to monitor their location and usage, not only ensuring that tools can be found when it’s needed but to predict future needs and identify inefficiencies in operational processes.

Key Benefits of IoT-Enabled Hospital Equipment Tracking

• Allow medical staff to find equipment in emergencies, even when it hasn’t been returned to its rightful place.
• Track and automate the inventory process.
• Identify and correct inefficiencies in the hospital processes – for example, tools stuck in sanitization or otherwise in disuse.