HIMSS: RFID still mostly used for equipment tracking
Despite more interest in using radiofrequency identification (RFID) to reduce medical errors and increase patient safety, the technology is mainly deployed for non-patient functions, according to a report from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
The society administered an online survey to 222 participants in May to discuss RFID technology. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of survey respondents believed that the widespread use of RFID applications will benefit healthcare organizations in the area of patient safety, followed by assets and/or biomedical equipment tracking (24 percent).
Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that the ability to impact patient safety and/or reduce medical errors is the most critical influencer for the use of RFID applications in healthcare organizations, followed by inventory management/asset control (20 percent).
However, in terms of actual utilization, 39 percent of respondents were much more likely to report that RFID technology is put to non-patient uses, such as asset/biomedical equipment tracking, and 26 percent used RFID for inventory management, the Chicago-based HIMSS reported.
For RFID-adoption barriers, 36 percent of respondents stated that budgets were barriers, and another quarter noted that they need a better return on investment analysis before they make this type of investment.
Only 16 percent of respondents utilized RFID technology for patient safety initiatives, the report concluded.
The society administered an online survey to 222 participants in May to discuss RFID technology. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of survey respondents believed that the widespread use of RFID applications will benefit healthcare organizations in the area of patient safety, followed by assets and/or biomedical equipment tracking (24 percent).
Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that the ability to impact patient safety and/or reduce medical errors is the most critical influencer for the use of RFID applications in healthcare organizations, followed by inventory management/asset control (20 percent).
However, in terms of actual utilization, 39 percent of respondents were much more likely to report that RFID technology is put to non-patient uses, such as asset/biomedical equipment tracking, and 26 percent used RFID for inventory management, the Chicago-based HIMSS reported.
For RFID-adoption barriers, 36 percent of respondents stated that budgets were barriers, and another quarter noted that they need a better return on investment analysis before they make this type of investment.
Only 16 percent of respondents utilized RFID technology for patient safety initiatives, the report concluded.