RFID tagging of patients with dementia
Jessie Venegas
— 2/04/2008
As an alternative to implanting electronic tracking tags in its dementia patients, the largest hospital in Luxembourg will monitor the locations of such patients using a radio frequency identification system. Hospital St. Louis has installed AeroScout Inc.'s Wi-Fi-based active RFID system to offer more protection to high-risk dementia patients. If such patients move through doors or other designated "choke points" while unaccompanied, the AeroScout Exciter tool will alert staff with real-time detection information. The tags have more than four years of battery life. These are worn by patients or attached to hospital equipment, and emit a signal which is detected and accurately located by the hospital's Unified Wireless Network. Location and status data from these tags is then sent to AeroScout's MobileView software and integrated with interactive maps and detailed information. This allows the hospital to search for and identify at-risk patients in real-time, over any web browser. The hospital tags each vulnerable patient as they are admitted to the hospital. Any equipment used with them is also tagged ensuring that any movements are visible to hospital staff. The AeroScout system can also trigger automated alerts based on movement and location, immediately sending an email, page or voice message to staff when a patient leaves a designated area. AeroScout Exciters provide precision detection at doorways, exits and other choke points.
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