Healthcare 2.0 - Where Does RTLS Fit In?

Hospital and Health Networks Daily wrote a series of blog posts from HIMSS11 that I really enjoyed. One in particular, written by Matthew Weinstock, H&HN Senior Editor and entitled Health Care 2.0, includes a video interview with C. Martin Harris, MD, chief information officer at the Cleveland Clinic and HIMSS board chair.

Dr. Harris' comments really struck a chord with me as they confirmed that enterprise awareness and RTLS really do fit into the broader intent of Healthcare 2.0 and meaningful use. Meaningful use has as its goal to drive quality, safety and service and to do it in a cost effective way using these new tools.

So where do RTLS and enterprise awareness fit into Health Care 2.0?

In an acute care setting, RTLS can help make sure that clinical IT applications are optimized to provide clinicians with timely and actionable information about the location, status, movement, availability and interaction of necessary equipment, skilled staff resources and patients. Check out this page from http://www.awarepoint.com/; it describes RTLS and Enterprise Awareness as a fundamental component of an effective, safe and compliant hospital.

True clinical workflow design in hospitals cannot be best optimized without enterprise awareness. I posed that question and presented a statement for consideration in a blog posted earlier this year titled, Improving Hospital Efficiency, Quality, Compliance with RTLS. I think they’re worth repeating here:

How can hospitals be optimally effective in clinical care without knowing the location and status of needed equipment or the availability of appropriately skilled staff resources?

When you think about the value of CPOE, the primary goals are clear: reduce errors and decrease delays in order completion. Enterprise Awareness provides valuable information to see exactly where the particular specialty equipment needed is located, improves efficiency of transport and order turnaround times to departments such as pharmacy, laboratory or radiology responsible for fulfilling the order, and provides the business intelligence needed to effectively move patients to appropriate levels of care, or discharge them, in a timely, safe and cost effective way.

If you’re a provider working in a hospital setting, has your hospital administration overlooked Enterprise Awareness and RTLS as a fundamental component in enabling the spirit of meaningful use?  We believe that RTLS fits into Health Care 2.0. What do you think?