Radio-frequency identification: its potential in healthcare

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is just starting to make inroads into healthcare. RFID uses radio-frequency tags attached to people or objects to provide identification, tracking, security, and other functions that fall under the general heading of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC). In the retail supply chain, RFID is already well established as a way to reduce theft and track objects from manufacture through shipment to delivery. In healthcare, basic RFID is already being used to track patients for anti-elopement and anti-abduction programs. As more sophisticated systems move into hospitals, RFID is also beginning to see use to provide more extensive patient identification than traditional bar coding can, and to track and locate capital equipment within the hospital. In years to come, RFID could be used for a variety of applications, including tracking and matching blood for transfusions, tracking pharmaceuticals, and combating the counterfeiting of medical products. RFID may ultimately be used for many of the functions currently carried out using bar coding--but not until the cost of RFID comes down. For the foreseeable future, the two technologies are likely to be used in tandem in many hospitals. In this article, we describe the components and operation of RFID systems and detail the different ways in which these systems are being used, and could be used, in hospitals.