Patient Tracking Systems for Hospitals: Benefits and Applications
Bluetooth beacon patient tracking systems are a type of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device that can be used to track the location of patients in a hospital setting, which helps reduce outpatient waiting times and eliminates the risk in the surgical workflow. The beacons are small and lightweight, and they can be attached to a patient’s clothing or wristband. The Beacons transmit their location information to a network of gateway devices, which relay the information to a central server. The server can then track the patient’s location in near real time. Designed to reduce average patient wait times by up to 30% and eliminate manual ‘patient-find’ time for nursing staff.
Bluetooth beacons for a patient tracking system can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Wandering patient monitoring: These tags can be used to track patients who are at risk of wandering, such as those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If a patient wanders outside of their designated area, the tag will send an alert to the staff.
- Equipment tracking: These tags can also be used to track the location of medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and IV pumps. This can help to ensure that equipment is always available when needed, and it can also help to prevent theft.
- Staff tracking: These tags can also be used to track the location of staff members. This can help coordinate patient care, and it can also help to ensure that staff members are always in the right place.
- Maintenance tracking: The beacons can be deployed for motor pump performance tracking and pump monitoring
A Bluetooth beacon patient tracking system in hospital offers a number of advantages over other tracking technologies, such as RFID and GPS. LoRaWAN is a low-power technology, so the tags can last for years on a single battery. Bluetooth with LoRaWAN is also a self-organising network, so it does not require any additional infrastructure.
Overall, low-cost, wireless BLE massivemesh infrastructure and patient tracking software are a valuable tool for improving patient safety and efficiency in hospitals. Powering Healthcare Digital Transformation since 1991
Here are some of the benefits of using an indoor GPS patient tracking system in hospital
- Low power consumption: The tags can last for 2 years on a single battery.
- Scalability: The network can support a large number of tags.
- IP67 – Waterproof, and can be sanitised with hospital-grade disinfectants
- LoRaWAN / BLE Mesh – A Non-Interfering with Medical Equipment & EMI/EMC tested
- Security: The network is designed to be secure, with encryption and authentication features.
- Robustness: The network can operate in challenging environments, such as hospitals, where there may be interference from other wireless devices.
If you are considering using Bluetooth mesh patient tracking software, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
- The tags must be properly placed on the patient or equipment.
- The network must be properly configured.
- The tags must be regularly monitored to ensure that they are functioning properly.
Why Hospitals Across Africa Choose Vikas 2.0:
24/7 Dedicated Technical Support: Our teams provide round-the-clock assistance, ensuring your patient tracking system remains online and optimised, regardless of your time zone.
Infrastructure-Agile Solutions: We design our LoRaWAN BLE Mesh systems to be resilient, functioning efficiently even in environments with varying connectivity or power stability—challenges we’ve spent decades solving.
On-the-Ground Expertise: We don’t just ship hardware; we provide local insights into regulatory compliance and hospital workflow optimisation that are specific to the regional market.
A Proven Track Record: Our longevity in the industry means we are a stable, long-term partner, not a startup. When you invest in our tracking tags, you are backed by three decades of healthcare innovation.
FAQ for the patient tracking system
1. Workflow & Efficiency
Q: Can patient tracking tags be used to manage outpatient crowds? A: Yes. By assigning a BLE tag at registration, the system automatically monitors waiting times and movement patterns. This data feeds directly into our Outpatient Management Software, allowing administrators to reallocate staff in real-time to reduce bottlenecks and improve the patient experience.
2. Integration with Core Systems
Q: Do I need a separate platform to view tracking data? A: No. The location data is natively integrated into the Vikas 2.0 Hospital ERP. This ensures that clinical staff can see a patient’s real-time location (e.g., “In Radiology” or “In Recovery”) directly on their standard nursing station dashboard without switching between different software applications.
3. Specialized Use Cases (Surgery)
Q: How do these tags assist in surgical departments? A: In high-stakes environments like the OT, these tags automate the transition markers between pre-op, surgery, and PACU. This is a core component of our Surgical Workflow Analysis tool, which helps hospital boards identify “dead time” and increase the number of procedures performed per theater each day.
4. Technology & Infrastructure
Q: Can the same infrastructure track hospital equipment? A: Absolutely. The same BLE gateways used for patient tracking can also monitor high-value medical assets. We recommend pairing patient tags with our Hospital Asset Tracking solutions to ensure that when a patient needs a ventilator or wheelchair, the nearest available unit is located instantly.
5. Security & Safety
Q: Can the system alert staff if a patient enters a restricted zone? A: Yes. The system allows you to create “Geo-fences.” If a patient (such as one in memory care or paediatrics) crosses a virtual boundary, an instant alert is sent to security. For a detailed breakdown of how to configure these safety protocols, you can contact our technical consulting team for a system architecture review.
Leveraging Vikas 2.0 and Netra 2.0 for Effective Hospital Patient Tracking
Our best hospital ERP software India and eye hospital software on the cloud are integrated with modern RTLS patient tracking software technology, which enables monitoring of outpatient waiting times and surgical workflows. Overall, Bluetooth tracking technology for patient systems in hospitals is a promising approach that can improve patient safety and efficiency.
