Blog Series: Living Map’s Real-Time Asset Tracking. Bringing Smart Technologies to Healthcare.

Summary:

• The problem

• The importance of asset tracking in addressing this problem

• What Living Map's Live Locator does

• Example use case 

   

According to GHP, misplaced hospital equipment results in a loss of *13.5 million working hours annually. In this blog post, I will explore the advanced layers and features of the Living Map platform that tackle this issue, with a particular focus on one of our most transformative capabilities: real-time tracking of critical assets. This feature allows healthcare providers to monitor the exact location of essential equipment, such as drug trolleys, defibrillators, or crash carts, on a live, digital map. By offering this kind of real-time visibility, hospitals can significantly streamline their operations, ensuring that key assets are always readily available and easily locatable. 

The impact of this functionality on healthcare operations is great. Not only does it reduce the amount of time healthcare professionals spend searching for equipment, but it also improves patient safety by ensuring that life-saving tools are available at critical moments. In high-stakes environments like the emergency department, where a crash cart might be needed in seconds, any delay in finding the equipment can have dire consequences. Despite the protocols that hospitals put in place to prevent equipment from being misplaced, there are still occasions where it’s not in its designated location when it’s needed most. Real-time asset tracking eliminates these delays by allowing staff to instantly locate equipment, potentially saving lives.

Another key aspect is the financial benefit of tracking medical assets, which are often high-value items. Healthcare facilities can invest millions in medical devices, from specialised diagnostic equipment to everyday tools like infusion pumps. Efficiently managing these assets is critical to ensuring that hospitals get the most out of their investments. When I attended the Arab Health conference in Dubai, I was struck by the sheer number of assets required to operate a modern hospital economically. From imaging equipment to patient transport systems, the complexity of managing these items can be overwhelming without the right tools in place. That’s where real-time tracking comes in—it provides hospital administrators and healthcare teams with the ability to pinpoint the exact location of any asset, reducing equipment downtime and ensuring it is always in use where it is most crucial.

This type of system also provides an additional layer of accountability. By tracking the movement of assets throughout the hospital, healthcare facilities can identify patterns of usage and detect inefficiencies, such as equipment being underutilised or misplaced. It also helps prevent theft or loss, which can be a significant issue in large, complex facilities where high-value equipment is often moved between departments.

Living Map’s digital asset tracking platform builds on our knowledge in digital mapping and wayfinding. We’ve already established ourselves as leaders in helping patients, visitors, and staff navigate the often-confusing layouts of hospitals and healthcare facilities through our interactive digital maps. Extending this capability to track assets is a natural progression of our core technology. The same digital maps that guide people through hospital corridors can now be used to locate medical equipment in real-time, providing a seamless, integrated experience for healthcare professionals.

Our platform allows hospitals to track assets across multiple locations within a facility, whether in patient rooms, storage areas, or even in transit between departments. The system is web-based, accessible through any authorised device, and can be customised to meet the specific needs of each healthcare facility. This means that staff can access the digital map from mobile devices, tablets, or desktop computers, ensuring that information is always at their fingertips when they need it.

For example, a nurse needing an infusion pump can open the digital map on her tablet, search for the nearest available pump, and retrieve it in minutes without having to check multiple storage rooms. This capability not only saves time but also reduces the frustration that often comes with searching for misplaced equipment in a busy hospital environment.

The ability to track critical assets in real time is an invaluable tool in the fast-paced, resource-intensive environment of healthcare. At Living Map, we are proud to offer solutions that not only improve operational efficiency but also have the potential to save lives. As we continue to develop and refine our platform, we remain committed to helping healthcare facilities enhance their performance, streamline their operations, and ultimately provide better care for their patients.

* (2023) GHP. Available at: https://www.ghp-news.com/how-improved-asset-management-can-tackle-loss-prevention-and-efficiency-within-the-nhs/ (Accessed: 14 August 2024).