Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinRFID SolutionsReal-time location tracking and temperture Monitoring using RFID.

Background

Planned automated administrative operations as part of improvement in work in process

The Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, (hereinafter referred to as The Einstein Hospital), located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a private hospital with seven medical facilities in an area of 86,000 square meters, with approx. 700 beds. As a high tier hospital, it proactively makes investments in technologies to enhance the security as well as convenience, and to provide high-quality services at any time. It is well known as one of the most advanced and reputable hospitals in South America.

The Einstein Hospital complies with a number of requirements of the standards including JCI (an international evaluation committee for medical institutions) and ANVISA (Brazil's national health surveillance agency). Setting out "Achieving greater work efficiency and agility" as one of their visions, the hospital has been taking active approaches to improve their work process. The RTLS (Real Time Location System) installation realizes its vision, "the most advanced and innovative healthcare, constantly humanizing healthcare services while working within the highest scientific and technological standards."

As many of medical devices used in a hospital are moved within the facility in accordance with the location of patients and nature of medical practice, the management of such equipment requires significant time and effort. Previously in The Einstein Hospital, a manual method was employed where staff members regularly walked around the hospital, visually checking the location/number of the devices, and wrote the results in several logs.

The hospital also has a large number of refrigerators/freezers to store different kinds of material such as blood, pharmaceuticals, and tissue samples, which require rigorous temperature control based on the type of material. The control of these materials used to be conducted in a manual manner where staff members regularly checked the coolers, and measured and monitored the temperature.

The hospital also has a large number of refrigerators/freezers to store different kinds of material such as blood, pharmaceuticals, and tissue samples, which require rigorous temperature control based on the type of material. The control of these materials used to be conducted in a manual manner where staff members regularly checked the coolers, and measured and monitored the temperature.

The hospital decided to automate these jobs, which used to be conducted by their medical staff as a part of their work, to improve patient service.

Installation Process

Implementation of Wi-Fi based RFID tag to go with the construction of the in-hospital WLAN

In September 2009, The Einstein Hospital started updating their in-hospital network infrastructure and constructed Wi-Fi certified wireless LAN environment throughout the hospital. The hospital had a long term plan to realize location management of persons and objects using this wireless LAN environment, RFID and sensors. As the first step, they began studies toward automation of location tracking of medical equipment and temperature monitoring of refrigerators/freezers, and eventually singled out the NEC's location management solution.

"Our hospital has a number of building facilities in the large property. Therefore, the complex process to efficiently provide medical practices required a solution which is capable of comprehensive integration of monitoring of devices/system network and data exchange. In order to develop such a solution, it was essential to have a partner that has know-how for construction of both data network and asset management monitoring solution, as well as extensive experience in integration of those two solutions. Then it was NEC that fulfilled the demand. The real determining factor was not only their substantial experience and achievement in advanced technology but also their high support quality." (Comment from Mr. Arai)

System overview

Real-time location tracking of medical equipment and temperature monitoring of refrigerators and freezers using RFID

In RTLS, the network devices such as in-hospital access points collect the data of Wi-Fi based active tags installed in approx. 600 pieces of medical equipment including infusion pumps, portable scanners, respirators, and wheel chairs. The read data is transmitted through the wireless LAN to servers where it is stored and managed.

Hospital staff members can visually figure out whereabouts of the devices in the hospital map displayed on a PC screen. In addition to the reference of location of the devices, it also became possible to grasp the status and condition (e.g. in use or being cleaned) as well as the maintenance information (e.g. date of deployment and maintenance history) to realize the comprehensive asset management.

The temperature monitoring system achieves automatic measurement and monitoring by installing RFID tags with temperature sensors in the hospital's refrigerators and freezers. The system shares the antennas, wireless LAN and servers with RTLS. In case any anomaly occurs (e.g. abnormal temperature), the system sends instant alerts to those responsible enabling prompt actions.

Results and future benefits

Achieved a good balance between work optimization of medical staff and cost reduction / Providing advanced medical services to meet international standards

RTLS has realized the strongest solution which tracks the flow of assets such as medical equipment. The location and status of the equipment, i.e. whether it is available, being cleaned, or under maintenance, is notified via wireless LAN. Such an ability of tracking has enabled to monitor medical devices in real time and accurately grasp their whereabouts at a glance without relying on manually kept records. The improved productivity in management has provided healthcare professionals with more time to focus on their fundamental mission.

Tracking devices has made a contribution to control and improve internal process. By keeping a proper balance of human assets, and providing a smooth personnel distribution based on the importance level of day-to-day tasks, it was succeeded to optimize the duties of the medical experts and improve the usability of equipment. The hospital is also expecting a cost reduction. At the same time, it enabled the hospital to provide higher-leveled, or advanced medical services to meet international standards such as JCI (an international evaluation committee for medical institutions).

"Our largest achievement was the improvement in productivity of the special staff members who is in charge of asset management of medical equipment." Mr. Arai commented. "Medical equipment is essential to support lives. To stop spending time to search equipment and instead create better environment to accomplish the primary medical duties consequently enables us to provide services for our patients at much higher levels."

"Also, some devices such as refrigerators and freezers are vital to provide direct care for patients." Mr. Arai continued. "We control inventory in case of an extreme rise in demand for blood, body tissues, human milk, and pharmaceuticals. In certain circumstances, these items become priceless. The items which require rigorous temperature control also require strict inventory management. Obtaining the system which can also meet such demands has greatly helped to enhance the hospital's reliability."

"However, the system implementation at this time is only the first step of the streamlining of the operations in the entire hospital." Mr. Arai said.

"Through the deployment of RTLS and the temperature monitoring system, we have created the foundation of the integrated location management system. From now on, we would like to implement the RFID solution in patient services and work force administration to realize traceability which involves medical staff and patients and achieve appropriate personnel distribution and optimized operations.

For example, patients have to move around in the hospital for doctors' consultation, examination and payment. With the use of RFID to incorporate patients' location data with progress data of required treatment, it will be enabled to reduce waiting time and provide better services. Meanwhile, grasping the staff's attendance and their location information makes it possible to optimize and facilitate application of human resources in medical practices. Furthermore, we are now considering the use of RFID in the entrance/exit control when people move in and out of the building facilities. This will allow for enhanced physical security and safer healthcare. Also, in order to further promote automation of maintenance of medical equipment and inventory management, we are considering the integration with ERP. Sharing the asset related data including maintenance schedule and duration period with the real-time location data will make management more efficient and agile."

As explained, the system implementation at this time is the first step toward the work restructuring using the tracking provided by RFID. We place great expectations for even more enhanced work efficiency and cost reduction achieved through further system expansion.

Opinions of NEC Staff

Customer profile

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

Outline

Contact>

Top of this page