Radio frequency identification-enabled capabilities in a healthcare context: An exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Information Systems
• Operations Research

Background:

• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are increasingly adopted in hospitals.
• Limited research exists on the mechanisms and reasons behind RFID's transformative impact in healthcare.
• Understanding RFID's role is crucial for optimizing healthcare operations and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically understand how RFID transforms work practices in healthcare operational processes.
• To analyze the impact of RFID on cost, operational efficiency, patient safety, and quality of care.
• To explore contextual characteristics influencing RFID assimilation in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Leveraged an interdisciplinary framework to examine RFID adoption in hospitals.
• Explored contextual dimensions shaping RFID assimilation.
• Provided a data-driven account of RFID's utility in healthcare inventory management.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated how RFID can be effectively utilized in hospital inventory management.
• Linked RFID use to specific contextual dimensions within healthcare settings.
• Provided empirical evidence on the 'how' and 'why' of RFID's impact on work practices.

Conclusions:

• RFID offers significant benefits for inventory management, impacting cost, efficiency, and patient safety.
• The study contributes to understanding technology's role in organizational transformation.
• Findings support a reconfiguration of conventional assumptions about technology in healthcare organizations.