Now that most hospital systems have completed large-scale records digitization projects, they are spending more time and money on real-time location services (RTLS) that can help with asset tracking, asset management, temperature monitoring, staff locating, hygiene compliance, patient flow/tracking, and bed capacity management. But with so many RTLS healthcare vendors vying for your business, finding the right vendor can be a challenging process.
In the healthcare sector, less than half of all health systems have adopted a large-scale RTLS solution to date, and there are a number of vendors and technologies competing to install those systems. These vendors use a variety of technical solutions for determining tag location as well as different RTLS software solutions to handle complex tasks like workflows and reporting.
Perhaps the most basic but profitable return on investment for hospitals is in reducing capital expenditures by increasing equipment utilization. When a hospital is able to locate its equipment quickly, it needs less equipment overall to meet its needs. Expensive, mobile capital equipment, like a portable X-ray machine, can cost upwards of $100,000. These items are not in constant use, but when staff is unable to locate them on demand, they will often complain to management about needing additional units. This even applies to less costly items like infusion pumps and even wheelchairs, which can be hoarded by certain units to ensure that a ready supply is always available.
Besides AirFinder by Link Labs, some of the market-leading products from other RTLS vendors include:
Centrak — Centrak is the market leader in fully functional hospital RTLS systems. These systems rely on a complex set of infrared and RF-based readers and sensors to locate and track assets and people in facilities. A Centrak deployment is a large undertaking and can run you a pretty penny, often in the range of millions
Zebra — Zebra is another UWB-based provider, with a long history of providing other asset management solutions. Zebra is a newer entrant to the healthcare RTLS space, and its software product is continuing to mature.
Related content: Download our whitepaper on the costs associated with implementing an asset tracking system in healthcare.
AirFinder is a newer RTLS solution with a unique value proposition that stands apart from the options offered by other RTLS healthcare vendors. We seek to balance the cost and complexity of our RTLS solution with the biggest drivers of ROI for healthcare systems.