In-hospital WiFi now used to track people, equipment

Now that cell phones and WiFi have been proven safe and essential for healthcare facilities, there's a race to get signals into those buildings. This has some interesting possibilities, but it is also causing some technical challenges to hospital technology managers. Frequently, buildings are too dense to allow strong cell phone signals, while increased demand for WiFi and VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) is putting pressure on the ad-hoc WiFi networks being built in many hospitals. One solution gaining traction is to locate PCS, cellular and paging, and WiFi services centrally and create a series of ceiling-based transmitters to amplify and distribute the various signals. One company in the forefront of this is InnerWireless, which has announced several installation wins in recent weeks.

In addition, InnerWireless, Ekahau and others are deploying the ability to track patients, products and equipment in a cost-effective real-time manner using the WiFi network--an alternative to RFID which is like an internal GPS. Given the problems hospitals have locating their staff, patients and other movable parts, expect this technology to spread rapidly.

- see this item in my Health Care Blog

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