Hospital Reduces Costs and Saves Thousands with RAIN RFID
Using a RAIN RFID enabled asset management solution, one hospital is reducing the loss of costly medical devices and saving thousands.
RAIN RFID decreased asset loss, ultimately shrinking costs
At a large hospital in the midwestern United States, cardiac telemetry packs were routinely disappearing. In response, the hospital placed RAIN RFID tags on the telemetry units and affixed readers at common loss points. After implementation, the hospital was able to capture all telemetry packs accidentally included in laundry and trash streams.This hospital:
- Estimated annual savings of $63,000 due to loss prevention
- Reduced time spent looking for missing assets via a sorting cart system
- Improved asset utilization for greater return on investment
- Is on track to deliver ROI in under nine months
Finding assets faster with RFID RAIN and STANLEY Healthcare solution
Cardiac telemetry packs kept going missing and at a cost of $3,500 each, this was no minor loss. Hospital staff found telemetry packs were primarily getting lost in the laundry or in bedsheets after patients were discharged. Eager to reduce asset loss and reduce expenses, this hospital turned to a RAIN RFID solution from Impinj and STANLEY Healthcare. After solution implementation, they quickly saw a swift decline in lost assets and time spent trying to find them. Here’s how it works:
- Each cardiac telemetry pack was equipped with a RAIN RFID tag chips
- Impinj readers were installed at identified high-loss collection points, including on newly implemented sorting carts
- Data collected from readers was then sent to ItemSense software and integrated into the STANLEY Healthcare MobileView® Visibility and Analytics Platform
Hospital staff are now alerted whenever a telemetry pack enters a high-loss area so it can be retrieved. Using a sorting cart system, the RAIN RFID solution shows exactly which trash or laundry bag contains the missing item. This reduces the number of bags to open saves time and limits exposure to soiled material.
Shrinking costs through effective loss prevention
Real-time alerts reduced loss of expensive assets
AMR Research estimates that 10% to 20% of a hospital’s mobile assets are lost or stolen during their useful life. But now, at this hospital, when mobile assets pass through a laundry basket or trash chute, hospital staff is alerted and able to immediately retrieve the at-risk item.
Sorting carts cut down on retrieval time
It was important that once staff was alerted that a telemetry pack was in a collection point, finding the missing item was easy. The RAIN RFID system enabled a sorting cart solution that allows staff the identify exactly which laundry or trash bag a missing item is in. This helps reduce time spent looking for lost items and retrieving them.
Quick ROI as a result of effective item retrieval
Within the first two months of implementation, the hospital saved three telemetry packs that would have otherwise been lost. At this rate, the hospital is on track to see a total ROI in less than nine months and an estimated annual savings of $63,000.
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Tuesday, September 25, 2018
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