Introduction
Increased patient volume has long been a prevalent issue in healthcare. With every flu season, hospitals nationwide have adapted and converted facilities to accommodate a swell of patients. While COVID-19 hospitalizations have been in a decline since mid-January, facilities still expect volume surges due to missed check-ups, delayed treatments, and mental health tolls suffered during the pandemic. The pressure on hospitals to deliver quality care under these conditions has never been greater.
To successfully meet demands and provide quality care, hospitals have begun to automate clinical tasks, yet this has opened the way to another costly problem: misplaced clinical assets. From bed tracking to ventilator monitoring to nurse assignments, every resource is crucial to assist patient recovery and handling increasing volume loads. When critical equipment cannot be located quickly, patient outcomes suffer and operational costs skyrocket.
That's why forward-thinking facilities are turning to modernized visibility solutions like RFID tracking, which can help medical staff track resources and shave as much as 21 minutes of inefficient searching from every shift without adding more devices to the asset pool. By embracing these technologies in healthcare, hospitals can reclaim lost time, reduce waste, and focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional patient care even during the most demanding surges in volume.
Hospitals across the nation are grappling with a reality that has only intensified over recent years: managing clinical assets effectively during surges in patient volume. While COVID-19 hospitalizations have been in a decline since mid-January, the ripple effects of the pandemic continue to drive unpredictable patient loads. Delayed treatments, missed routine check-ups, and the growing mental health toll have created a backlog that many facilities are still working to address.
When patient volumes spike, every piece of clinical equipment—from ventilators and IV pumps to hospital beds and heart monitors—becomes a critical lifeline. Yet, one of the most pervasive and costly issues facing hospitals is the misplacement of these essential assets. Studies show that clinical assets can account for as much as 25% of a hospital's total budget, and when devices go missing or are improperly stored, the financial and operational consequences are significant. Staff spend valuable minutes—sometimes entire portions of their shifts—searching for equipment rather than caring for patients.
The automation of clinical tasks has helped streamline many hospital operations, but without the right visibility tools in place, automation alone cannot solve the problem of misplaced resources. Hospitals need a comprehensive approach that combines automation with real-time asset tracking to ensure every device is accounted for, properly maintained, and available when it's needed most. This is where cutting-edge technologies in healthcare like RFID tracking come into play, offering a transformative path toward operational excellence.
<h2><strong>Track, Manage, and Update All Through One RFID Solution</strong></h2>
RFID and real-time location visibility solutions have been cited as one of the top three transformative technologies in healthcare, currently considered by 83% of facilities nationwide as a way to manage dynamic workflows. RFID visibility supported by Zebra's healthcare-grade mobile devices increases asset availability across multiple critical dimensions:
- Documenting device usage – Tag assets such as IV pumps, heart monitors, beds, and more with metal-friendly RFID tags to monitor how and where your assets are being used via your mobile device. Zebra's TC52-HC touch computer can easily be paired with an RFID sled to read tags and evaluate usage in real time.
- Monitoring service schedules – When assets are misplaced, they may not be properly serviced or disinfected according to preset schedules. By integrating visible accountability, devices can be quickly located, serviced, cleaned, and deployed back to where they're needed most, ensuring availability and performance.
- Certifying proper storage – Clinical assets can account for as much as 25% of a hospital's total budget. To prevent premature device damage and associated replacement costs, real-time location systems can help your staff ensure assets are correctly stored at the end of every shift, further diminishing search times.
- Safely transcribing patient information straight onto EHR systems – Further curbing misidentification during times of high patient volumes, RFID data capture can also help clinicians update EHRs in real-time within a HIPAA-certified platform, housed on their mobile device. By accurately tracking patients and treatment plans, administrators can best allocate resources without compromising departments.
What makes RFID particularly powerful is its ability to consolidate all of these capabilities into a single, unified solution. Rather than relying on multiple disconnected systems, hospital administrators gain a centralized view of every tagged asset, patient interaction, and workflow event. This holistic visibility empowers decision-makers to respond proactively to volume surges, reallocate equipment in real time, and maintain the highest standards of care—even under the most demanding conditions.
One of the greatest advantages of RFID tracking technology is its adaptability. Whether you operate a small community hospital or a large multi-campus health system, RFID solutions can be readily customized to fit current needs and scaled as your facility grows. This flexibility means that hospitals don't have to invest in a one-size-fits-all system; instead, they can deploy targeted solutions that address their most pressing challenges first and expand from there.
Beyond immediate asset tracking, RFID systems capture actionable intelligence that helps prepare your facility for future challenges. By analyzing historical data on asset utilization, patient flow patterns, and equipment service cycles, administrators can make data-driven decisions about resource procurement, staffing allocations, and infrastructure investments. This proactive approach transforms asset management from a reactive scramble during volume surges into a strategic advantage that strengthens the entire organization.
At Derive Technologies, we understand that every healthcare facility faces unique operational challenges. With over two decades of experience delivering innovative healthcare technology solutions, our team is equipped to assess your current infrastructure and recommend the RFID visibility platform that best fits your environment. From initial consultation through deployment and ongoing support, we partner with you to ensure your staff spends less time searching for equipment and more time delivering the quality care your patients deserve.
The Takeaway for IT Buyers
High patient volume will continue to challenge hospitals for the foreseeable future, but the tools to manage it effectively are already available. RFID and real-time location visibility solutions represent a proven, transformative approach to increasing asset availability, reducing operational waste, and curbing misidentification during the most demanding periods. By documenting device usage, monitoring service schedules, certifying proper storage, and safely transcribing patient data onto EHR systems, hospitals can reclaim critical time and resources.
The ability to customize solutions to fit different-sized facilities and scale as needs evolve makes RFID tracking an investment that pays dividends today and well into the future. With 83% of facilities nationwide already considering these technologies, the momentum behind modernized visibility in healthcare is undeniable. Hospitals that act now will be better positioned to handle whatever volume surges lie ahead.
Derive Technologies is mobilized and ready to help your facility harness the full power of RFID asset tracking and healthcare-grade mobility solutions. To see how RFID asset tracking would fit in your facility, CONTACT US today for a free assessment and take the first step toward smarter, more efficient patient care.