21 Apr Georgia healthcare system to install GE's radio frequency ID
Waukesha, Wis. – Radio frequency identification technology has yet to penetrate deeply into American healthcare facilities, but one area it can yield some immediate results is keeping better track of medical equipment.
To that end, Emory Healthcare, one of Georgia’s largest healthcare systems, will deploy IntelliMotion, an RFID solution produced by GE Healthcare, a $17 billion business unit of General Electric Co. The technology’s brand promise is to conduct real-time equipment tracking, improve utilization, reduce the staff time spent locating equipment, and reduce equipment spending, itself.
The technology uses a proprietary RFID network to locate tagged equipment within a medical facility. It operates through a separate network that does not interfere with existing wired or wireless networks, and does not consume network bandwidth.
Facilities can use an unlimited number of equipment tags, and Emory initially will install tracking tags in all hospital infusion pumps. The organization now rents additional pumps to meet any fluctuating demand, and hopes to eliminate the need for rentals.
Emory also wants to reduce the time it takes to deliver a pump from a high of 30 minutes to 10 minutes.
Related stories
• GE Healthcare leads compact ultrasound market
• GE Healthcare partners with UNC on breast cancer imaging research
• GE Healthcare enters agreement with Canadian health authority