The Future of RFID in Healthcare

Applications for RFID in IoT can be extensive and diverse. RFID tags are primarily used to make everyday objects communicate with each other and the central hub and report their status.

Fremont, CA: RFID technology has a wide range of applications across multiple industries. From tracking cattle in smart agriculture to counting stock during warehouse inventory, RFID technology has become a part of every business. Industries like retail, manufacturing, logistics, intelligent warehousing and banking are now leveraging RFID Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to enhance their business and stay ahead of the competition. The healthcare industry has also benefited widely from this technology.

With the outbreak of the pandemic, there has been an increasing amount of pressure on healthcare services and related supply chains. Under these circumstances, the adoption of RFID IoT solutions has gained new urgency and importance. RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification technology, uses radio waves to enable communication and data transmission between a reader system and the object with a unique tag attached or carved-in. These tags reflect the energy emitted by the reader, allowing it to identify the object the tag is attached to and communicate information like location.

Applications for RFID in IoT can be extensive and diverse. RFID tags are primarily used to make everyday objects communicate with each other and the central hub and report their status. For instance, portable medical equipment in the healthcare sector can be easily found on call. Combined with IoT, RFID technology can connect objects into a network and make them create and send data.

Unlike simple RFID tags that reflect signals, sensor-enabled battery-powered RFID tags can create and send metric data in real-time. This expands the capabilities of the connected devices and makes them truly smart. RFID tags with IoT is the future of RFID technology. Studies have shown that the number of connected devices will grow up to 200 billion by 2020, with the majority being enabled in clinics, emergency rooms, elderly care centers, and other healthcare organizations.

With the help of RFID asset tracking in hospitals, tagged medical equipment such as much needed ventilators and other life-saving equipment can be rapidly located on a virtual map of the hospital. This helps to keep a constant eye on all essential items. Disposable goods such as gloves, masks, and scrubs used in considerable amounts require strict inventory, which can be counted and located automatically during the RFID-based inventory process.

See also: Top IoT Solution Companies