Читать книгу Advanced Healthcare Systems - Группа авторов - Страница 26

Transportation and delivery of healthcare products and services include pharmaceuticals, surgical supplies, medical devices, consumables, and equipment used in medical field. Here, IoMT in transportation and shipment of medicines is used in monitoring temperature sensors, humidity content, end-to-end visibility solutions to track customized medicines for cancer patients using RFID including bar codes, drones, and many more other new developments. The RFID technology for logistics management in IoMT is contactless, fully automatic technology. With almost negligible manual interventions, this can work in toughest of harsh environmental issues. An automatic identification technology such as an Auto-ID system based on RFID technology is an important asset for inventory systems for two reasons. First of all, the visibility provided by this technology allows an accurate knowledge of inventory level by eliminating the discrepancy between inventory record and physical inventory. Secondly, RFID technology can prevent or reduce sources of errors. Benefits of using RFID technology include the reduction of labor costs, the simplification of business processes, and the reduction of inventory inaccuracies [59].

IoT can improve efficiency of equipment use in healthcare. Hospitals have thousands of equipment in inventory and managing them efficiently is a major concern. It is seen that only one-third of the equipment is being utilized was about 32%–38% while hospitals are spending a huge amount of money on assets that are not properly utilized. IoT can also efficiently help track and sterilize surgical equipment, thereby reducing hospital-acquired infections. Tracking of equipment by healthcare workers becomes easier and makes workflow more efficient. IoT can remind of timely service of equipment, thereby increasing their lifespan. The materials management is quite crucial to maintain the timely supplies of medical devices, stock, and consumables, devices like pacemaker or lenses or implants should be not overstocked but also not get expired. Hence, long-term inventory management can help in stock planning and efficient scheduling of supplies which further reduces cost and warehousing burden [60]. Inventory management can be optimized through technology and use of IoT for tracking and data to create models for ideal inventory management using Artificial Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic [61]. IoT using RFID technology can automate the process of health asset management by tracking medical equipment spread across various departments or hospitals. It can help reduce the volume of inventory by improving utilization of existing assets and help in planning acquisition of new assets more efficiently. Pilferage and loss of equipment can also be reduced and the weak spots of inventory management can be located using smart devices and software applications [62]. IoT can thereby greatly benefit healthcare by optimizing workflow leading to faster response during emergencies, improve utilization of existing assets, and make resource allocation more efficient [63]. Patient flow management systems can improve patient transport in hospitals between units or different buildings by booking the travel and automatically sending request for transport and sending real-time monitoring information of the trip. This can save costs by timely delivery of patient to the operating room or a CT scan or MRI unit and avoid delays and prevent inconvenience to patients [64]. In addition, IoT can also increase efficiency of healthcare staff and productivity by managing personnel.