Impact of Mobile and Wireless Technology on Healthcare Delivery services

Modern healthcare delivery services embrace the use of leading edge technologies and new scientific discoveries to enable better cures for diseases and better means to enable early detection of most life-threatening diseases. The healthcare industry is finding itself in a state of turbulence and flux. The major innovations lie with the use of information technologies and particularly, the adoption of mobile and wireless applications in healthcare delivery [1]. Wireless devices are becoming increasingly popular across the healthcare field, enabling caregivers to review patient records and test results, enter diagnosis information during patient visits and consult drug formularies, all without the need for a wired network connection [2]. A pioneering medical-grade, wireless infrastructure supports complete mobility throughout the full continuum of healthcare delivery. It facilitates the accurate collection and the immediate dissemination of patient information to physicians and other healthcare care professionals at the time of clinical decision-making, thereby ensuring timely, safe, and effective patient care. This paper investigates the wireless technologies that can be used for medical applications, and the effectiveness of such wireless solutions in a healthcare environment. It discusses challenges encountered; and concludes by providing recommendations on policies and standards for the use of such technologies within hospitals

Patient tracking in Emergency Department using RFID

A study was conducted to investigate the implementation of a tracking system for patients in the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Center Emergency Department (ED). The tracking system would employ radio frequency identification technology (RFID). The RFID tracking system will improve the efficiency and increase the quality of patient care in the ED. The project focused on the return of investment (ROI) for implementing the RFID system. It was shown that the return of investment would be achieved in six months

Antennas and Propagation of Implanted RFIDs for Pervasive Healthcare Applications

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Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting and the RFID Technology Intervention

Both nationally and internationally, pharmaceutical counterfeiting has become a problem that is threatening economic stability and public health. The purpose of the present research study review was to analyze the scope and severity of pharmaceutical counterfeiting and to establish if the implantation of the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) model can more efficiently be used within the pharmaceutical supply chain to reduce the problem counterfeit drugs impose on public health and international economic stability. Results indicated that implementing the RFID model for tracking drugs at the item level in the pharmaceutical supply chain has potential to alleviate the scope of the counterfeit drug problem. Recommendations for how the pharmaceutical industry may sooner adopt the RFID model are made

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in health care: where are we? A scoping review

Purpose (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves for data collection and transfer, so data is captured efficiently, automatically and in real time without human intervention. This technology, alone or in addition to other technologies has been considered as a possible solution to reduce problems that endanger public health or to improve its management. This scoping review aims to provide readers with an up-to-date picture of the use of this technology in health care settings. Methods This scoping review examines the state of RFID technology in the healthcare area for the period 2017-2022, specifically addressing RFID versatility and investigating how this technology can contribute to radically change the management of public health. The guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) have been followed. Literature reviews or surveys were excluded. Only articles describing technologies implemented on a real environment or on prototypes were included. Results The search returned 366 results. After screening, based on title and abstract, 58 articles were considered suitable for this work. 11 articles were reviewed because they met the qualifying requirements. The study of the selected articles highlighted six matters that can be profitably impacted by this technology Conclusion The selected papers show that this technology can improve patient safety by reducing medical errors, that can occur within operating rooms. It can also be the solution to overcome the problem of the black market in counterfeiting drugs, or as a prevention tool. Further research is needed, especially on data management, security, and privacy, given the sensitive nature of medical information

The incorporation of Radio Frequency Identification Technology in health institutions and the determining aspects of adoption

The process of traceability by radio frequency identification system (RFID) is considered one of the biggest contributions of the last years in the health sector. This article aims to study the academic contributions that this technology has brought to the segment in question and the consequent difficulties resulting from the implementation of this technology in the ambit of hospital and outpatient facilities. To carry out this work, we proceeded to survey and literature review in order to select the research related to the topic of RFID in the context of traceability. The data obtained clearly show that the benefits of this tool are numerous, ranging from drug screening to the correct availability of patient data. Although it is imbued with all these advantages, RFID still represents a visible difficulty of insertion in the hospital environment due to economic and security problems in terms of information privacy. However, this new reality is undeniable and its implementation is increasingly present in the medical environment, being a necessity rather than a technological advance

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in health care: where are we? A scoping review

Purpose: (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves for data collection and transfer, so data is captured efficiently, automatically and in real time without human intervention. This technology, alone or in addition to other technologies has been considered as a possible solution to reduce problems that endanger public health or to improve its management. This scoping review aims to provide readers with an up-to-date picture of the use of this technology in health care settings. Methods: This scoping review examines the state of RFID technology in the healthcare area for the period 2017-2022, specifically addressing RFID versatility and investigating how this technology can contribute to radically change the management of public health. The guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) have been followed. Literature reviews or surveys were excluded. Only articles describing technologies implemented on a real environment or on prototypes were included. Results: The search returned 366 results. After screening, based on title and abstract, 58 articles were considered suitable for this work. 11 articles were reviewed because they met the qualifying requirements. The study of the selected articles highlighted six matters that can be profitably impacted by this technology Conclusion: The selected papers show that this technology can improve patient safety by reducing medical errors, that can occur within operating rooms. It can also be the solution to overcome the problem of the black market in counterfeiting drugs, or as a prevention tool. Further research is needed, especially on data management, security, and privacy, given the sensitive nature of medical information. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Panel: Business process management education in academia: Its status, its challenges and its future

In recent years, hospitals have begun to invest in RFID systems to control costs, reduce errors, and improve quality of care. Despite the obvious benefits of RFID in healthcare settings, potential obstacles to effective deployment also exist. The purpose of this study is to systematically understand how hospitals can apply RFID to transform work practices and address cost, safety, and quality of care issues, most notably in inventory management. We leverage an interdisciplinary framework to explore adoption and use of RFID at multiple levels of analysis and adopt a multi-method approach to explore the research questions guiding this study. Our study is expected to contribute to a growing body of research related to the adoption and use of IT in healthcare settings and the enabling role of IT for innovating work practices and improving process performance

Connecting Healthcare – Leveraging Technology to Promote Value-Based Care in the Emergency Department

The emergency department is a fast-paced and complex environment that serves hundreds of thousands of people a day across the state of Georgia. The establishment of a culture of value-based care in the emergency department is attainable but often falls short when the staff cannot properly leverage the technology available to them. Framed by the Complex Adaptive Theory and The Input/Throughput/Output Model of ED Patient Flow, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how emergency department leaders and staff could better leverage technology to develop and sustain a culture of value-based care. The 30 participants in this study were members of the executive suite, as well as members of the emergency department staff in Georgia. The data were collected through online surveys consisting of open-ended questions. Thematic analysis of the data yielded 5 key themes, including (1) training, (2) time, (3) access to information, (4) troubleshooting, and (5) vendor selection. A key recommendation from this study includes researching the effectiveness of post-implementation health information technology in the emergency department, as it relates to sustaining a culture of value-based care