RFID is the best healthcare technology – I’ll bet you half a billion dollars on it!
Posted by Patrick Sweeney on Thu, Jan 26, 2012
By now most of you in the RFID industry have heard about the Department of Veterans Affairs recent request for proposal (RFP) for RFID and RTLS. This $550 million RFP covers about a dozen different use cases for RFID.
The brilliance of the proposal is that it combines the best of both worlds-news significant use of passive RFID technology and is also appropriate use of active RFID technology. The two RFID technologies combined in the hospital setting will provide unprecedented patient benefit, and cost savings.
The VA is following on the footsteps of hospitals like Mayo Clinic, Disney Cancer Center, and Princeton University - hospitals which have also adopted RFID with great success. Like many other large-scale RFID deployments, either in retail or the government or even for at places like Vail resorts, there will be noise from the haters.
The bottom line is RFID is a technology that's ready for mission ciritcal use in hospitals. The savings in the healthcare arena for asset tracking, RFID specimen tracking, patient and staff tracking, plus myriad other uses are fully documented.
There is no doubt about it - RFID increases patient safety and reduces cost. But there are always going to be haters with new technology. This time it's a dying breed -the Unions.
It's a shame that the unions of the VA have to use RFID as a lightning rod to provide some perceived value. Unions membership has been rapidly declining since the 1950s as a percentage of total employment. They did their jobs wel and now are not required. People have realized union dues are nothing more than a euphemism for taxes. In addition having experienced a union myself at one job, there is little or no value in since all the original issues around fair work are now law. It was easy for me to see that unions eliminate any voice you may have had before, because if you don't agree with the union leadership your voice will never be heard. I found this out the hard way. There are a lot of VA staff that really want RFID, they think it will help them give better service, but their voice will never be heard if they are int he union because they are being surpressed.
The only staff fearful of being tracked at the VA are union representatives. The highly dedicated caregivers (most of the workers of VA) who want to provide the best possible care at the lowest possible price to our wounded warriors, have already told me that they greatly looking forward to this technology, they see the potential to help give better care, find the right equipment exactly when they need it, and come up with unique ways to ensure things are done on time
The $550 million dollar bet is one I’m willing to take – it’s technology that is in the best interest of taxpayers and the brave soldiers trying to heal.
Mayo Clinic using RFID to save lives and money.