Medical Center Installs RFID System

July 14, 2006 -- Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC) of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, successfully installed a computerized inventory system to support cardiology services provided by the United States Air Force's 759th Surgical Operations Squadron. The system is deployed in the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories of the hospital. Developed by Mobile Aspects, Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa., the system, called iRISupply, uses a radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking architecture to automatically track medical devices and supplies.

The system provides automated storage, tracking, and inventory management capabilities to support the operational processes of the clinical setting. Installed on May 15, products being stored and tracked within the system include stents, balloons, and implantable devices such as pacemakers that are used for interventional cardiology procedures. WHMC joins a growing list of hospitals that are leveraging RFID technology to achieve positive financial outcomes and better patient care.

"Through the RFID technology, we seek continued improvement in the medical device and supply management processes of our cardiology services," said Colonel Marc Sager, 59th Medical Wing administrator. "In line with our vision as an organization, we strive to put our patient's needs first while focusing on optimizing the resources used to provide that care."

Common benefits to medical device and supply management realized with utilization of the system include more accurate charge capture, improved security and retrieval of stored items, and enhanced management of product expiration and recall for time-sensitive products such as drug-eluting stents. As its common for implants, stents, and other devices to occupy 40% of supply budgets for a typical hospital, finding opportunities to optimize resource utilization can yield significant improvements to a care provider's bottom line.

The IRISupply system is part of the Mobile Aspects One System of CARE solution, which uses identification and information technologies to automate processes for clinical resource management by healthcare providers. By automating the storage, tracking, utilization, and billing of clinical resources through RFID, healthcare providers realize enhanced care quality, increased productivity, accurate billing, and significant inventory cost savings.

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