In hospitals, having the right assets at the right time is critical. The inability to find equipment like ventilators, oxygen tanks, heart monitors, crash carts, or even small assets like pagers can cause extreme problems.

Not only is time a factor in hospitals and healthcare facilities, but most of the equipment is expensive and can be difficult to replace. In order to ensure that the equipment is accounted for and easily accessible at all times, these assets are frequently tracked via RFID technology. By tagging each asset with an RFID tag, these assets can be located by observing the time and place of the asset's last successful read by RFID hardware in the vicinity.

In addition to assets, inventory levels of inventory items in hospitals like medicines, PPE equipment, syringes and other one-use items are commonly tracked using RFID. To learn more about Assets & RFID Asset Tracking & Management - download our guide below.

Does RFID Asset Tracking in Hospitals Provide Real Time Location? 

RFID Asset Tracking can provide the near real-time location, or even real-time location with additional technology like Wi-Fi or GPS. Typically, RFID equipment is placed at certain intervals throughout a hospital like at all entrances and exits to each floor and in intervals on each floor. When the asset passes near an RFID system, the asset’s tag is read and that tag read is documented with a timestamp, relevant asset information, and relevant location of the read. For more information about Real Time Location Systems, read our guide - What is RTLS? - An Introduction to Real Time Location Systems.

Can all Healthcare Assets be Tracked with the Same RFID Tags? 

RFID tags are great for tracking healthcare assets, but not all assets are created equal. The best way to determine if different tags are needed for different assets is to analyze each type of asset and try to group assets with unique needs together. (add in something about UHF RFID) The three main factors to consider when determining if the asset needs a unique RFID tag are:

Composition -

• Group any assets together that contain/are made of metal
• Group any assets together that contain/are made of glass
• Group any assets together that contain liquid

Processes -

• Group any assets together that go through a unique process that involves withstanding high temperatures.
• Group any assets together that go through a unique process with water.
• Group any assets together that might be exposed to rough handling.

Attachment Method -

• Group any assets together that would probably need something stronger than adhesive to attach the tag to the asset (zip ties, screws, epoxy).
• Group any assets together that would be good candidates for embedding a tag within the item so that the item’s function is not hindered by an RFID tag.
• Group any assets together that have a smaller or limited surface area

If any assets to be tagged qualify for one, or more of these groups, they will probably need to be tagged with a specific tag or type of tag in order to receive the best read range possible.

What do RFID Asset Tracking Tags Look Like? 

RFID Asset Tracking tags have a variety of sizes, shapes, attachment methods, and form factors depending on the asset that is being tracked. Below are few examples of the types of tags used in asset tracking and the specific assets that they track.