3 Important Ways RTLS Benefits Physicians

11/20/2019

Physicians are constantly under pressure to deliver quality care amid competing demands for their time. Thankfully, there are technologies that can help ease this demanding burden—one of them being real-time locating system (RTLS) technology.

RTLS is like a GPS for the indoors. Badges worn by people and tags affixed to equipment communicate with a network of receivers throughout the facility. This network relays the location of patients, staff and assets to the software, displaying the information on a map or list for easy viewing by staff.

Here are three main ways RTLS benefits physicians:

1. It enhances care team communication with real-time data. The entire care team can see how patient visits are progressing with in-the-moment data displayed on floorplans and list views. These provide visual cues that keep everyone organized and on the same page. At a glance, staff have a clear picture of who has seen the patient, who may need to see them next, wait times and exam room availability.
2. It facilitates physician productivity and can increase patient throughput. Patient visits flow more smoothly with improved communication and real-time cues on each patient’s stage of care. Reducing inefficiencies can give precious time back to physicians that can be spent on longer patient encounters, additional appointments, administrative tasks or other initiatives that are important to the health of each practice.
3. It provides useful operational data for improvement.  Whether physicians want to know how much time they spend with each patient or how often exam rooms are in use, reports provide measurable data that can be used to enhance practice efficiency. Location and patient-staff interactions are automatically captured for retrospective review.

Want to learn more about the power of RTLS to impact operational inefficiencies? Download our infographic “The Costs of Operational Inefficiencies in Outpatient Clinics” for more insights.