This poster reviews how radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology has been used in hospitals to increase patient safety and reduce adverse medical errors. Specifically, it discusses how RFID has been shown to: 1) reduce patient falls by monitoring patient movement; 2) decrease retained foreign objects left in surgery through tool tracking; and 3) increase hand sanitization compliance among healthcare workers, lowering infection rates. The poster includes examples and results from various RFID implementation studies.

1. RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
Radiofrequency identification (RFID) is a type of wireless
technology used in many industries. When used in the hospital
setting it has been shown to be effective in reducing adverse
medical errors. This poster reviews the impact RFID has had on
retained foreign objects (RFOs) from surgery, hand sanitization
compliance and healthcare associated infections (HAIs), and fall
prevention.
ABSTRACT
According to the Annual Review of Medicine adverse medical
errors (AMEs) are estimated to be responsible for nearly 100,000
deaths each year in the U.S. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has determined healthcare associated infections (HAIs)
are the most frequent adverse event in healthcare affecting
5.1-11.6% in developed countries including the U.S. In 2007 it
was estimated that healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in
acute care cost the United States as much as $45 million1. In
2009 the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health
(HITECH) Act were created to reform the U.S. healthcare
system. Meaningful use ensures technology is used in a
meaningful and measurable way to improve quality, safety,
efficiency, and reduce health disparities1. Radiofrequency
identification (RFID) is one type of technology used in effort
towards this goal.
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Mr. Bob Ligon and Ms. Melanie Knott for their
academic guidance and support on this project.
The University of Texas at Austin, Health Informatics and Health IT Professional Education Program – Spring 2016
Smarter Hospital, Safer Patient
Catherine King, B.S.
METHODS
I used PubMed and Google Scholar databases to find articles
from 2010 to present on the topic of RFID technology used in
acute care and its impact on medical errors occurring in hospitals.
I used the following keywords to find relevant articles:
(technology OR technolog* OR wireless* OR informati*) AND
(device OR gadget OR equipment* OR accessor*) AND (patient OR
case OR hospital* OR in-patient*) AND (safety OR safe* OR secur*
OR defens*) and
(rfid OR radio* OR freq* OR wireless* OR identification* OR id) AND
(acute care OR hospital OR inpatien* OR in-patien*) AND (safety
OR error* OR fall* OR infection* OR safe* OR injur*)
Increasing patient quality care and safety is a goal of the U.S.
government as demonstrated in the Health Information Technology
for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Adverse medical
errors (AMEs) and healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are
major issues affecting both quality of care and safety.
Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) technology can play a large
role in preventing AMEs resulting in increased quality care. The
research studied shows how RFID:
•Can be used to reduce patient falls;
•Reduces the occurrence of retained foreign objects (RFO) post
surgery;
•Can increase hand sanitization compliance resulting in fewer
HAIs, and;
•Can correctly identify whether the right patient was admitted
to the operating room4.
From 2009-2011 Queen’s Medical Center, Nottingham, U.K.
conducted a trial to reduce patient falls. The trial resulted in no
increase in preventing falls with RFID6. In another experiment
published by Gait & Posture in 2014, RFID was also used in an
effort to reduce falls. However, the RFID system was used in a
different way. The outcome from this experiment was positive
meaning falls could be prevented5. The different outcomes from
these two trials demonstrate that how RFID technology is used is
critical.….………………………………………………………………………………………….
One solution to HAIs is to simply wash hands frequently and
especially between patients. Radhakrishna, K., Waghmare, A.,
Ekstrand, M., et al. devised a trial to increase hand sanitization
compliance using a RFID system3. This trial proved successful in
increasing hand sanitization even 4 months after the RFID system
was removed.
RFID is effective in increasing patient safety and quality care
and will have growing role in patient care in acute settings.
Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the architecture for a
radiofrequency identification (RFID) system in a hospital setting.
The system of software and hardware include RFID sensors,
mobile devices, and the application(s) that ties them together.
The sensors can be attached or imbedded into nearly anything
including name badges and equipment. Also shown are some of
the healthcare workers who participate in a RFID ecosystem
identified under “User Group”.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Meaningful Use.
http://www.cdc.gov/ehrmeaningfuluse/introduction.html.
2. Pham, J., Aswani, M., Rosen, M., et al. (2012). Reducing Medical Errors and
Adverse Events. Annual Review of Medicine, 63, 447-463.
3. Radhakrishna, K., Waghmare, A., Ekstrand, M., et al. (2015). Real-Time Feedback
for Improving Compliance to Hand Sanitization Among Healthcare Workers in an
Open Layout ICU Using Radiofrequency Identification. Journal of Medical
Systems, 39, 1-8.
4. Ting, S., Kwok, S., Tsang, A., et al. (2011). Critical Elements and Lessons Learnt
from the Implementation of an RFID-enable Healthcare management System in a
Medical Organization. Journal of Medical Systems, 35, 657-669.
5. Ranasinghe, D., Torres, R., Hill, K., et al.(2014). Low cost and batteryless sensor-
enabled radio frequency identification tag based approaches to identify patient
bed entry and exist posture transitions. Gait & Posture, 39, 118-123.
6. Sahota, O., Drummond, A., Kendrick, D., et al. (2014). Age and Ageing, 43, 247-
253. REFINE (REucing Falls in In-patieNt Elderly) using bed and bedside chair
pressure sensors linked to radio-pagers in acute hospital care: a randomized and
controlled trial
7. Hasselbacher, P. (2013). Objects Accidentally Left in the Body After Surgery in
Kentucky. Medical Information,Quality & Safety,
http://www.khpi.org/blog/objects-accidentally-left-in-the-body-after-surgery-
in-kentucky/
CONTACT INFORMATION
PURPOSE
The purpose of this poster is to demonstrate how
radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology is being used in
acute care and its ability to increase patient safety by reducing
medical and other adverse errors .
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Figure 2 demonstrates how a
RFID sensor with kinematic
properties is attached to a
patient to monitor whether a
patient is sitting, standing or
lying down as part of an
effort to prevent falls in
hospitals.
Figures 4 and 5 are related to an experiment using RFID in an effort to increase
hand sanitization compliance using RFID sensors, flashing lights, and sanitization units.
Figure 4 shows the successful results of the experiment where the red line indicates
greater hand sanitization compliance amongst those healthcare workers (HCWs) participating in the experiment than the control group
represented by the blue line. This graph also shows how hand sanitization compliance remained high four months after completion of the
RFID experiment. Figure 5 shows the workflow of HCWs and their interaction with hand purification dispensing units with RFID sensors. If
the HCW came into sufficient proximity of a dispensing unit the unit would flash. If the HCW used the product the flashing stopped
immediately. Otherwise, the flashing stopped automatically after ten seconds.
Figure 3 shows an example of a
retained foreign object (RFO).
This x-ray reveals surgical
scissors left inside a patient’s
body after surgery. If RFID
sensors had been placed on this
item this ‘never event’ would
have been prevented.
Figure 1 Hospital Radiofrequency System4 Figure 2 Kinetic RFID Sensor5
Figure 3
Retained Foreign Object7
Figure 4 Hand Sanitization Compliance Result3
Figure 5 Hand Sanitization Flowchart3
Catherine King, BSIS
www.linkedin.com/in/catking
Healthcare worker with
RFID approaches patient
Movement
detected
LED begins
to flash
Healthcare worker
uses sanitizer
Healthcare worker
does not use
sanitizer
LED stops
flashing
LED
continues to
flash for 10
seconds
Hit
Miss
Y axis shows amount of sanitizer used (in ml)