One of the most valuable resources in the healthcare sector is time. Time for care, therapy and conversations, for working with people. But whether in hospitals, inpatient and outpatient care and retirement homes or in rehabilitation facilities, one thing that is most urgently lacking is time.

The lack of personnel and skilled workers leads to high workloads, increasingly poor working conditions and, therefore, insufficient care. In addition, demographic change means that the number of people requiring medical and/or nursing care is constantly growing – while at the same time, fewer and fewer young people are entering the healthcare professions. A Additionally, increasing documentation requirements and administrative tasks consume valuable time.

Digitalisation as Key to Tackling The Workforce Shortage

Addressing this complex and ever-growing problem requires comprehensive reforms and changes at multiple levels, including further digitalisation of systems. Among other things, real-time location systems (RTLS) can help healthcare staff to focus more on their core tasks.

Reducing Search Times, Saving Time and Costs

A Bluetooth-based tracking system significantly shortens the search for mobile medical devices both in emergencies and in everyday working life where GPS fails, namely inside hospitals or care facilities.

Objects which, by their very nature, are frequently moved by different people during the working day are tagged. Depending on the system, staff can use these tags to call up the asset location, either to the exact room or in the sub-meter range, via an application. This eliminates time-consuming personal searches and saves valuable time.

Person Tracking in Compliance with Data Protection Standards

Of course, it is also possible to localise people, patients or residents with an RTLS. Strict data protection regulations must be observed. However, the use of a tracking system can be a valuable tool, especially in the care and support of people with cognitive impairments such as dementia. It allows affected individuals the greatest possible freedom of movement within a facility while providing staff with digital support in their care.

Reducing Documentation Efforts

An RTLS can also provide valuable support when it comes to maintenance and documentation. Tasks such as maintenance, cleaning, sterilisation, or disinfection of equipment and hospital beds can be directly recorded in the system, ensuring transparency and availability at all times.

Easy Orientation Thanks to Indoor Navigation

An RLTS also provides digital support for staff in the form of indoor navigation embedded in a hospital app. Particularly in large hospital complexes or rehabilitation facilities, staff spend a lot of time explaining the way towards or examination rooms to outpatients or visitors. A flexible Bluetooth-based navigation system takes over this task and guides users precisely to their desired destination. A combination of indoor and outdoor navigation enables seamless routing from the parking lot to the doctor’s or patient’s room.

More Time for Patient Care with Real-Time Data

The use of RTLS in healthcare facilities reduces the workload of nursing staff and frees up time for working with and on patients, while at the same time optimising processes and making more efficient use of valuable resources.

Find out how middleware can further enhance the impact of RTLS in hospitals and other healthcare facilities in part two of our RTLS in Healthcare series.