Operations, periop, and clinical engineering leaders who need predictable equipment availability across units without adding burdensome steps for staff.
Locate time under 5 minutes for pumps, vents, monitors, beds, and specialty carts
Higher utilization and lower rental spend through rebalancing and hoarding controls
PM/recall on-time rates up, fewer second passes to find devices
Search-free workflows for nurses and transport—less time hunting, more time on care
The Problem We're Actually Solving
Hospitals don’t just “lose” devices—they lose time: minutes at the bedside, minutes before transport, minutes during handoffs. Those delays ripple into throughput, length of stay, and labor cost. A modern hospital equipment tracking system makes the location and status of devices visible at chokepoints and on demand, so the right equipment is in the right place at the right time.
How It Works (Executive View)
Tag + Identify Devices carry a durable ID (barcode/2D for documentation plus passive RFID for non-line-of-sight reads). Tags encode a non-PHI key that links to asset records.
See Movement Fixed readers at thresholds, storage rooms, and key corridors create automatic “last observed location” events.
Find Fast Handheld readers guide staff by signal strength to locate a specific item in racks, rooms, or bays—no line of sight required.
Act In the Flow Mobile computing puts lookups, messaging, and exception capture in one device at the point of work.
Close the Loop Interfaces sync with CMMS/EHR to update status, PM, and recalls.
Architecture Choices (Keep It Simple, Scalable)
Passive RFID backbone: battery-free tags + fixed read zones (storage rooms, unit thresholds, corridor ceilings, elevator lobbies) generate reliable movement events and rapid audits.
Barcodes/2D remain the clinical identifier in documentation and device specifics.
Handhelds for proximity search, spot audits, and exception capture (relabel, retire, out for service).
Mobile computing to unify lookups, alerts, and checklists at the point of work.
Privacy model: non-PHI tag keys; role-based access; audit logs; standard interfaces with CMMS/EHR.
Rollout Playbook
90 Days to Results
Phase 1 (Weeks 1-3): Map flows (ED → ICU, PACU → floors). Tag pilot device classes (e.g., pumps, vents). Install 3–5 read zones per route.
Phase 2 (Weeks 4-6): Train superusers. Turn on locate-time and hoarding alerts. Start weekly utilization/rental huddles.
Phase 3 (Weeks 7-10): Expand read zones to high-traffic corridors and clean rooms. Add CMMS lookups and recall lists.
