Assessing the Effectiveness of RFID Technology in Healthcare

The assignment aims to investigate the effectiveness of RFID technology in identifying and tracking objects in safeguarding patients. It evaluates whether RFID implementation can improve efficiency and effectiveness by improving tracking and visibility of resources, resource coordination, decreasing likelihood of medication errors, increasing patient satisfaction by enhancing their safety. A systematic review approach will examine effects of RFID technology in improving timeliness, quality, and cost reduction of outpatient processes.

Running head: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION
Writing Proposal Template for ITC571
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION
Proposal template
Student Name
and ID
Project area Use of RFID (Radio frequency identification) technology in healthcare and
medical system
Project name Utilisation of RFID in the healthcare technology
Key words RFID, radio frequency identification, healthcare industry, hospitals
1. Introduction Background
Information,
Issues and
Current Solutions
1. More than 45,000 patients die in healthcare
settings every year due to avoidable medication
errors (Wamba, Anand & Carter,2013). Radio
frequency identification (RFID) refers to a state-of-
the-art technology that focuses on using
electromagnetic fields that are attached to a tag, with
the purpose of identifying objects. These tags help in
product identification and product tracking. It is a
wireless technology that uses radiowaves for
transferring data from the tags. The major use of
RFID is the fact that it provides assurance of
providing best treatment services to all patients that

2EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION
they pay for (Southard, Chandra & Kumar, 2012).
Shortcomings/
limitations in the
current /existing
solutions
2. Major problems that need to solved are related to
the high prevalence of medication errors in hospitals
that lead to potential harm, even death of the
patients. Medication errors commonly occur due to
poor communication, poor decision making skills,
inadequate patient monitoring, poor patient tracking
and patient misidentification (Wamba, 2012). The
existing healthcare solutions fail to address these
issues, thereby contributing to the error rates.
Importance of
solving this
problem
3. Innovative information technologies need to be
adopted in the healthcare setting for rectifying the
existing deficiencies and for meeting the standards
that will enhance patient safety (Anand & Fosso
Wamba, 2013). Implementing RFID in real-time
settings will help in will facilitate mapping nursing
practice workflow and efficient medication delivery.
2. The Main aims The research aims to investigate effectiveness of RFID in identifying and

3EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION
of this research tracking objects in safeguarding patients
3. The questions
which need to be
addressed in this
research
The research question will aim ot evaluate whether RFID implementation
can improve efficiency and effectiveness by the following:
 Improving tracking and visibility of resources and services needed
to produce the services
 Improving resource coordination
 Decreasing likelihood of medication errors
 Increasing patient satisfaction by enhancing their safety
4. A Brief
Description of
YourProposal
Some weaknesses of the existing healthcare system are focused on the fact
that lack of technological implementation in the healthcare setting results
in diagnosis, medical and medication error, which directly threaten the
health and safety of all patients (Cheng & Chai, 2012). The research will
be based on a systematic review approach that will examine effects of
RFID technology in improving effectiveness such as, timeliness, quality
and cost reduction of outpatient processes.
5. Factors
affecting the
research and
ethical
considerations (if
needed)
The research will focus on the following:
 Overall throughput time of processes
 Cost of the procedures
 Resource utilisation
 Error reduction

4EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION
 Cycle time within the process
An extensive literature review will be conducted for the same.
Ethical concerns are related to the sensitivity of medical history and
records in the supply chain and the difficulty in making the hospital
authorities and patients provide their consent for the same.
6. The Process or
Methodology of
Your Project
 Literature review
 Use of secondary sources (articles) from electronic databases and
Google Scholar
 Identification of research themes
 Categorisation of the findings into identified themes
7. Expected
Outcomes
The expected outcomes revolve around increased accuracy of the tasks,
reduced human errors, improved patient safety, and enhanced patient
satisfaction. The patients will primarily be benefited on implementation of
the approach across all healthcare settings, followed by the hospital
administration. Less errors and improved patient outcome will create
positive impacts on the reputation of the hospitals (Fosso Wamba & Ngai,
2015).