Title :
Dual-Frequency Active RFID Solution for Tracking Patients in a Children´s Hospital. Design Method, Test Procedure, Risk Analysis, and Technical Solution
Author :
Gentili, Guido Biffi ; Dori, Fabrizio ; Iadanza, Ernesto
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. & Telecommun., Univ. degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
Abstract :
This work addresses the problem of reliable identification and tracking of children in an intensive care unit in a children´s hospital. Tracking and identification of patients are critical for the clinical risk management process, particularly for a children´s hospital intensive care unit where patients´ identities can easily be confused. This work offers a multilayer approach to the design of the process of identification and tracking; it gives an active radio-frequency identification (RFID) solution that best fits all the given constraints. The paper is divided in the following sections: design (where a multilayer method is provided, including project aims, functional requirements, and technical constraints); risk analysis [a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) method is used to assess the risks of each stage of the process of patient management]; technical solution with a specific test phase and a review of the risk analysis results. As a result of the proposed approach, we got a strong coherence between the initial aims and the technical solution, improving patient safety and reducing the clinical risk in the process of tracking and identifying patients.
Keywords :
hospitals; radiofrequency identification; risk analysis; tracking; children hospital intensive care unit; clinical risk management process; dual-frequency active RFID solution; failure modes and effects analysis method; multilayer method; patient management; patients tracking; radio-frequency identification; risk analysis; Active RFID tags; Design methodology; Hospitals; Nonhomogeneous media; Pediatrics; Process design; Radiofrequency identification; Risk analysis; Risk management; Testing; Design methodology; medical services; risk analysis;
Journal_Title :
Proceedings of the IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/JPROC.2010.2053330