Avoiding the Pitfalls of Hospital RFID Implementation

With its care- and cost-management potential, RFID is a powerful tool for hospitals. But without the advice of experts, hospital managers can end up using RFID tags to scrape egg off their faces. Insufficient wifi capacity, overly-complex user interface, disruption of patient care routines…the pitfalls are many. Interviewed in , Yedidia Blonder outlines the seven most important planning steps hospital managers should take for successful RFID implementation. The do’s and don’ts include:

• DO assess the types and numbers of tags you’ll be using in any given area, to avoid interference by competing tags.
• DON’T get an RFID system that has a complicated user interface; healthcare personnel shouldn’t have to be IT experts.
• DO check to make sure the system you’re considering can handle the localization you require; do you need it to distinguish between different rooms, or just different floors?
• DON’T expect nurses to program RFID tags; tags should be pre-programmed with default settings.

And the most critical “DO” of all: Consult with an expert vendor to get the most out of your RFID investment.

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