Evaluation of a Tracking System for Patients and Mixed Intravenous Medication Based on RFID Technology

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Pharmacy Management

Background:

• Improving patient safety and care quality is a key healthcare challenge.
• Minimizing adverse events in medication administration, especially for high-risk drugs, is critical.
• Intravenous medication processes require stringent safety measures from prescription to administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) system in a hospital setting.
• To assess the impact of RFID technology on patient care processes, including safety, cost, and clinical practice adequacy.
• To gather feedback from healthcare personnel on their experience with the RFID system.

Main Methods:

• Detailed analysis of an RFID system implemented in the Day Hospital and Pharmacy services.
• Evaluation based on surveys completed by healthcare personnel involved in the system.
• Assessment of key indicators: patient care safety, cost-effectiveness, and clinical practice alignment.

Main Results:

• The RFID system successfully tracks patients throughout their hospital stay.
• Healthcare personnel surveys indicated positive perceptions regarding the system's contribution to patient care.
• The system's cost was deemed justifiable given its application in managing expensive and high-risk medications.

Conclusions:

• RFID technology offers a viable solution for enhancing patient safety in medication management.
• The system's benefits in tracking and safety outweigh its initial investment for specific high-risk drug applications.
• Healthcare personnel's input is crucial for evaluating and optimizing new technologies in clinical practice.