The Benefits of Real-Time Locating Systems in Healthcare

The following is a guest blog post by Stephanie Andersen, Managing Partner at ZulaFly.
Stephanie Andersen
“It is frustrating to not be able to find things you need when you need them.”

This is a recurring theme from professionals I interact with across the entire healthcare spectrum.

The healthcare industry is a setting where assets are seemingly in constant motion. With this movement comes increased possibility for assets to be misplaced or leave the building, creating unnecessary replacement expense that can negatively affect your organization’s bottom line.

Real-Time Locating System, or RTLS, has been on the scene as a dependable solution to tag and locate important, valuable assets that easily go missing and has increasingly become more important to a hospital’s bottom line.

Stop Replacing, Start Locating

Where are assets and how are they being utilized? RTLS answers this question in ways no other technology has been able to before.

In my conversations with healthcare leaders, many express concern over how often valuable assets walk out the door. RTLS possesses the strength to know if assets are moving at hours or in areas they should not be, as well as when assets reach the door.

In the healthcare industry, assets such as PSA and infusion pumps, beds, wound vacs, ventilators, Doppler systems, and workstations on wheels are just a few items staff members are tagging and keeping closer tabs on thanks to RTLS.

Staff can also use RTLS to evaluate whether an asset should be moved from one area to the next to increase utilization, compared to simply buying another one.

As a whole, replacement costs are reduced and the amount of dollars sunk into unused or forgotten rental equipment becomes remedied thanks to RTLS.

At ZulaFly, I am often asked if there is a way for hospitals to track ambulances and other care transport vehicles so that hospitals can have a 360 degree view of what is happening inside and outside of the facility. We have developed a GPS offering that combines with RTLS to create this comprehensive view.

Increased Staff and Patient Safety

A quality RTLS system gives staff members a device that allows them to easily call for help in real-time.

Additionally, RTLS affords patients a button-press solution in case of an emergency. Because the RTLS tag allows staff to quickly locate where the issue is occurring, the situation can be quickly attended to and remedied.

Industry leaders are seeing the value of RTLS within their healthcare facilities, quickly realizing how reduced replacement cost and time saved searching for assets create considerable return on investment.

About Stephanie Andersen
Stephanie Andersen is a 17+ year professional within the software industry, spending over ten of those years working at Microsoft. Through various roles and responsibilities that range from technical support, to project management, to driving sales, to business operations and even product development, Stephanie has become focused on sales, marketing, and business development. This strong skillset and unparalleled experience has been key in developing the go-to market strategy that has brought ZulaFly from concept to completion, and most recently to market.

   

Categories