by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | February 22, 2019
From the January/February 2019 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
HCB News: With so many RTLS systems (including RFID systems) on the market, what factors should a facility consider when selecting the right one for their needs?
PS: RTLS systems are vying to find a home in the health care world and new technology makes the decision process a little difficult. Primary to the process is investing in a hardware system that is fast and accurate. Latency time between the action of care and the visible displays are important for the team to see and trust the system. Another element of speed is when integrating with EHR's they sometimes have a latency timer to not exceed a certain amount of seconds before the software 'times out.' Always test drive what you may be buying.
They key for software is capacity for rules and data management. As you expand the system make sure the system expands with you. How is data organized into what kind of database? Is the data base accessible? Will it generate custom reports? How? Can you export data into business intelligence tools or similar technology for reporting? Be careful that your teams desire to innovate is not harnessed by system capabilities.
Health systems regard RTLS as a technology application to solve a certain business case needed today. It makes sense to provides an ROI focal point, but once that business case is solved, then what? An organization should consider how RTLS can be used for operational learning, innovation and overall productivity. We believe the ROI to be a reduction to the cost of care per incident of care provided over a specified period of time.
HCB News: How should a provider or facility prepare for installing an RTLS system in their hospital?
PS: Considerations should be applied to what the organization’s appetite for process improvement is and the maturity of the improvement model. The organizations we are working with are starting with ambulatory flow and stepping into ED management, hospital asset management (including bed management and nurse work flow) and then into the OR. The OR is probably the Super Bowl of RTLS deployment and the organization will need a mature and educated team to tackle those processes. However, there is much to be gained in that environment when looking at OR suit utilization and surgical case flow.
HCB News: What are some of the most common (or most dire) mistakes that facilities sometimes make when introducing RTLS to staff member workflow?
PS: Being afraid. We always tell staff that what you did yesterday, last week, last month works but we need to improve. RTLS on its own won't change the world. Nor will it end it. Move forward with it. Get used to the functionality of button presses and work flow rules that help staff perform their care steps. Staff adaption is a simple bell curve. You will have early adaptors on one end and nay-sayers on the other with the majority of those in the middle waiting for the bell to tip in direction or the other. Leadership plays an intrinsic role managing the bell curve of staff engagement.
