Uncertainties inherent in RFID tracking systems in an emergency department

This paper presents an agent based modeling tool to assist in the deployment of RFID based tracking systems in healthcare facilities. The environment modeled here is an emergency department, with emphasis on patient tracking. The focus of the work is to quantify and assess the uncertainty and error associated with RFID tracking systems. The work extends the utility of RFID systems beyond asset and inventory control to patient tracking and highlights uncertainty as a critical issue in the data obtained via RFID tracking systems.