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THE DILEMMA: AN EVASIVE ASSET EPIDEMIC
Health care organizations today face a critical problem. Nurses can’t find the equipment they need when they need it. Biomeds struggle to locate equipment for preventive maintenance and recalls. You can’t provide safe, timely, effective patient care if you can’t find the equipment that makes it possible to do so.
Meanwhile, hospital executives look to solve this problem by investing in more equipment. In reality, the equipment they already have sits idle, used at less than half of its potential, because it’s not in the right place at the right time.
What’s going on here? Most hospitals have more than enough assets. What they really need is to use the assets they already own more effectively.
This is such a glaring issue that, in true health care fashion, we’ve (jokingly) assigned it an acronym. The healthcare industry is struggling to overcome a widespread EAE: Evasive Asset Epidemic.
THE SOLUTION: RTLS ASSET MANAGEMENT
Real-time locating system (RTLS) technology proposes a useful remedy to an EAE. When used to its fullest, RTLS not only allows you to see at a glance where equipment is in your facility, it also helps you distribute assets more effectively, providing nurses with the equipment they need, when and where they need it, using your fleet to its fullest potential.
RTLS has saved countless health care organizations millions of dollars – something that, in today’s landscape, is an invaluable ROI.
WHO DOES IT HELP?
An EAE affects just about everyone in a health care organization, and so does RTLS. No matter who you are, using RTLS for asset management is a beneficial investment:
- C-Suite Executives: Managing assets with RTLS means less capital expense … fewer devices to purchase, no bloated inventory and fewer service contracts.
- Operations (Director of Operations, Facilities Manager, Manager of Support Services): With RTLS, it’s easy to locate and manage your mobile equipment inventory, ensuring that equipment is in the right place at the right time. This prevents hang-ups and delays in patient care and hospital operations.
- Nursing (Director of Nursing, RNs, Nursing Staff): Nurses spend a lot of time looking for equipment. RTLS means less time searching, which means less frustration and more time for patients.
- Clinical/Biomedical Engineering: Assets are easier to find for preventive maintenance (PM) and recalls. With RTLS, more equipment can be serviced in less time, improving productivity and patient safety.
- Patients: As a patient, you’ll receive the timely care you deserve from your caregivers, and the equipment will be properly maintained, ensuring your safety.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DATA
RTLS can also collect data to help you make decisions for process improvement.
Take IV pumps, for example. Data collected with RTLS can provide insights about:
- Asset Utilization by Location. Which units use IV pumps the most? What is the utilization rate on a particular pump or our entire fleet? Are units or departments maximizing the use of equipment?
- Asset Census. How many pumps were in a certain department over a certain period of time? Which units have a large quantity of equipment? What should the baseline number be for pumps in the ED? Do we maintain a consistent supply of pumps in the ICU?
- Preventive Maintenance. When preventive maintenance data is added to the RTLS database, you can answer the following questions: When are pumps due for preventive maintenance and where are they? What will the preventive maintenance workload be for the next few weeks or months? Which assets were due for preventive maintenance last week?
By answering these questions, you can make proactive decisions to improve your facility’s workflow (and prevent an EAE) based on real data gathered through RTLS. There’s always room for improvement!
ARE YOU READY?
RTLS for asset management is a win-win for staff and patients alike. Evasive Assets become Available Assets – properly maintained and ready to provide high-quality patient care.
Let’s eliminate the Evasive Asset Epidemic. Are you ready?
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION about RTLS Asset Management, download our comprehensive eBook “How to Eliminate an EAE” at versustech.com/EAE.