InnerWireless Real-time Location System Commercially Released For Improved Hospital Productivity And Patient Care
InnerWireless, Inc.
a leading provider of in-building wireless systems, announced that its real-time location system (RTLS), called “Spot”, is commercially available after being proven successful during one year of beta tests and integration with location-enabled applications.
Spot gives healthcare organizations room-level accuracy for tracking and locating critical medical devices and valuable assets, which enhances workflow while improving patient care.
Spot’s commercial launch is InnerWireless’ focus during The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans this month. The company also is showcasing its broadband distributed antenna system, Horizon.
Lost or misplaced critical assets disrupt workflow and patient care because hospital staff must spend valuable time looking for items, but with Spot, hospitals can quickly locate equipment and expedite the delivery of care. Spot uses a purpose-built architecture comprised of master radios, beacons and asset tags based on the 802.15.4 standard that work together to locate equipment in real time, down to the specific room level. Spot also is completely wireless, predominately battery operated and requires virtually no cabling, so its wireless infrastructure is as easy to install as a home’s smoke detector and does not disrupt the sterile hospital environment. Finally, Spot is a secure, IT-friendly solution that minimizes IT touch points and has no impact on an organization’s 802.11 networks. Spot stands in contrast to many RTLS systems that can only locate to broad zone levels, require room-level wiring and infection control, or disrupt existing 802.11 networks.
Spot enables process improvements across healthcare organizations, including asset management and workflow optimization. Spot is an open solution to ensure that location information can be integrated into applications. As part of this effort, InnerWireless has completed integration with PanGo Networks (for location management and asset tracking), St. Croix Systems Corporation (for enterprise asset management), and SYMX Technologies (for equipment and resource management).
Rigorous Spot beta tests were conducted at a number of hospitals across the country, including Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie , N.Y. The 365-bed hospital tracked IV pumps during its Spot beta test and saw an immediate ROI and transformation in workflow.
“Prior to the deployment of Spot, nurses spent on average 30 minutes per shift looking for medical equipment. During the beta test, that number dropped to 15 minutes per shift, so when you’re talking about wage and overtime, that turns into a $6.5 million savings for the hospital over the next five years,” said Nicholas Christiano, vice president and CIO of Health Quest, Vassar Brothers’ parent company. “We found great value in Spot and have decided to deploy the system throughout the entire hospital as part of Vassar Brothers’ commitment to better and faster patient care.”
“Missing or unfound assets degrade a hospital’s financial situation because decision makers often overpurchase equipment to ensure availability to clinicians and staff,” said Ed Cantwell, CEO, president and chairman of InnerWireless. “During HIMSS, we will show how Spot can eliminate these issues, enhance patient care and provide the hospital with a measurable, short-term ROI. Additionally, we will show that Spot’s innovative design allows for a fast and scalable installation, giving hospitals the freedom to add tags when and where they want.”
InnerWireless already has received interest from more than 30 entities for Spot, and with the deployment of Horizon, its Medical-grade Wireless Utility, InnerWireless has brought mission- and life-critical wireless solutions to more than 60 leading hospitals across the United States.
InnerWireless in booth #2511 at the 2007 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition
Visit InnerWireless at booth #2511 for demonstrations of Spot and to learn more about Horizon, the Medical-grade Wireless Utility. InnerWireless customer Nicholas Christiano, vice president and CIO of Health Quest, Vassar Brothers’ parent company, will present at the Wireless & Mobility Pavilion Theater at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26