RTLS Helps Healthcare Organization Streamline Asset Tracking

Hide and seek may be a fun game when you're a child, but in the business world, this activity can cost an organization millions. Take, for example, Denver Health. Like many healthcare providers, Denver Health is responsible for tracking and monitoring the use of expensive pieces of biomedical equipment critical to patient care. These devices include, but are not limited to, infusion pumps, ventilators, hospital beds, and heart monitors. Prior to 2005, Denver Health used a paper system to track and maintain the more than 10,000 pieces of biomedical equipment in use at the healthcare facility. This process was highly inefficient and exposed Denver Health to potential litigation.

"With our pen and paper approach to tracking assets, our technicians were spending about 80% of their time tracking down equipment that was in need of service," says Jeff Pelot, CTO of Denver Health. "Technicians had difficulty locating equipment because our medical staff would hoard devices for future patient use and failed to check devices in and out with our central supply department. Not only was the search for missing equipment a drain on labor costs, it also put our hospital at risk. In healthcare, it is vital that all equipment in use is properly certified and regularly tested for safety purposes. If a technician couldn't locate a specific device, we couldn't ensure that the device was properly certified. If that device were to fail while in use on a patient, the hospital would be liable and subject to potential lawsuits."