Hospital St. Louis has installed AeroScout Inc.'s Wi-Fi-based active RFID system to offer more protection to high-risk dementia patients. If such patients move through doors or other designated "choke points" while unaccompanied, the AeroScout Exciter tool will alert staff with real-time detection information.

"We have a high ratio of caregivers to patients, but have always been aware of the need for additional measures when it comes to tracking patient movements around the hospital to maintain their safety and well-being," Georges Wolfers, director of ICT at St. Louis, said in a press release. He said the hospital is excited by the potential of AeroScout's RFID tools to improve patient care.

Dementia patients at St. Louis will wear AeroScout T2 tags, which have a battery life of four years. The tags will be tracked using the hospital's Cisco Unified Wireless Network.

Using these tags, staff can track valuable assets as well. St. Louis plans to use RFID to track equipment such as infusion pumps and wheel chairs. Tags on both patients and assets can be programmed to send alerts to hospital staff via email, page or voice messages if certain motions or locations are triggered.

For the full article written by Chip Means, Associate Editor please visit: Health Care IT news EU