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Hospitals invest heavily in mobile medical equipment, be that infusion pumps, wound vacs or wheelchairs. However, given the constant flurry of activity within hospitals, this equipment can be easily misplaced, lost or stolen. AMR Research estimates that 10% to 20% of a typical hospital’s mobile assets are lost or stolen during their useful life, equating to an average cost of almost $3,000 per item. As a result, hospitals often purchase or rent additional equipment to mitigate the impact on staff and ensure that equipment is on hand at all times.
How AI enriches location intelligence solutions A new wave of AI-enabled location intelligence solutions uses a combination of software and hardware to help hospitals keep track of medical equipment in real time. Small sensors attached to mobile medical equipment transmit signal information to the cloud via a fast-lane radio signal that bypasses the hospital's Wi-Fi (avoiding congestion) to be interpreted by AI.
These AI models operate similarly to image-recognition algorithms trained to recognize specific images. In the same way that algorithms can distinguish between pictures of cats and dogs, the models get trained to recognize the signal layouts of an area, whether it be a hospital room, hallway, stairwell, atrium, parking garage, etc. After receiving the signal information from the tags, the AI interprets the data to determine the location of the equipment.
Understanding equipment utilization and reducing excessive purchases Perhaps the most significant benefit of AI-enabled location intelligence is its positive impact on hospital’s operations and bottom line. Most hospitals do not have the data they need to determine if their inventory and equipment are creating operational efficiencies (or inefficiencies, for that matter). As a result, the average equipment utilization rate is only about 42% in American hospitals. The most common strategy to protect against critical equipment shortages or unavailability is to over-purchase items, tying up capital that could (and should) go elsewhere.
AI-powered location intelligence solutions provide hospital administrators with the historical insights they need to improve equipment utilization and automate their equipment distribution processes. Additionally, this data will allow administrators to see if they have too much inventory, permitting them to make data-driven procurement decisions that eliminate the need for over-ordering or renting expensive equipment, generating considerable cost savings.
