Improving Hospital Operational Efficiency With RTLS Technology

When a hospital operates efficiently, healthcare costs are lower and patient outcomes improve. Patients flow in and out of the hospital system without delays, while physicians have more time to deliver individualized patient care. But what does hospital operational efficiency mean, and how do facilities achieve it? 

Operational efficiency refers to a hospital or healthcare facility’s ability to deliver high-quality care while minimizing waste and unnecessary costs. It is achieved by optimizing the use of resources, such as technology, staff, and equipment. 

Hospital efficiency is the cornerstone of improving healthcare and offers numerous benefits for facilities of all sizes, including:

• Lower cost of care - When a hospital is thoroughly running, less time and resources are wasted, which lowers the overall cost of patient care. 
• Better workflows - Efficient hospitals have streamlined workflows to help staff quickly locate equipment and deliver fast patient care without compromising quality.
• Happier employees - Hospitals can improve employee satisfaction by investing in ways to make operations run smoothly, alleviating physician and staff stress. According to a study, happiness is one of the factors that contributes significantly to health system efficiency. 
• Improved patient outcomes - According to an article from Forbes, “when employees are happy, they are more productive and more likely to provide quality care.” There are strong correlations between better patient care when employees are satisfied. Care is also less likely to be delayed, so patients can quickly receive the treatments they need.

While there are many benefits to improving efficiency in hospitals, it is challenging to know what changes to make. Technology is one of the best ways to drive operational efficiency, and there are affordable, proven solutions on the market, like Cox Prosight. Discover how investing in real-time location systems (RTLS) technology will advance the way your facility operates.

4 Ways Cox Prosight Improves Hospital Operational Efficiency 

Cox Prosight provides the highest level of operational insight to help transform hospitals. From tracking and monitoring assets to forecasting inventory, here are the four ways this RTLS solution addresses common barriers to achieving operational efficiency. 

1. Streamlined Asset Tracking

Equipment utilization is a common problem hospitals face. Only 42% of expensive medical equipment in hospitals is utilized, and many nurses report spending up to 1 hour per shift looking for medical equipment. When medical equipment is lost or stolen, most hospitals don’t have a way to find it, which leads to overordering. 

With Cox Prosight’s asset tracking capabilities, healthcare facilities can locate all of their medical equipment in real-time. Whether equipment is needed for maintenance, patient care, cleaning, recalls, or rentals, staff can easily find it via a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. 

2. Automated Environmental Tracking

Most hospitals have hundreds of temperature-sensitive areas to monitor, which can be a very time-consuming and expensive process for staff. These rooms may contain items such as blood, specimens, or food. If the room temperature reaches an unsafe level, these items may spoil and can be very costly to replace. 

Cox Prosight simplifies environmental monitoring by automating temperature checks and reporting. The solution’s smart monitoring feature monitors and logs temperature readings 24/7 and alerts staff when they are at risk of being out-of-range. Hospitals can quickly generate automated reports with accurate and updated information to prepare for compliance auditing. 

3. Inventory Forecasting

There is a fine line between having enough or too much medical inventory — hospitals generally overorder medical equipment by 25%. Inaccurate inventory records can lead to increased costs, unexpected delays in demand fulfillment, and lost revenue. Not only does a lack of inventory affect staff, but it prohibits patients from receiving the quick care they need.

Hospitals can simplify management and forecasting with Cox Prosight’s medical device inventory tracking software. The software offers visibility into inventory levels, providing reliable usage data to identify trends and prevent overstocks and stockouts. Administration can eliminate guesswork and order the correct size of inventory, every time. Cox Prosight improves hospital operations by reducing unnecessary equipment purchases and the chances of equipment loss. 

4. Automated Nurse Call

During a 12-hour shift, the average nurse walks almost four miles a day. From moving back and forth to patient rooms and equipment closets, they don’t have time to waste. An RTLS system helps automate workflow processes and saves time while supporting better patient care. With RTLS-enabled staff badges, nurse calls are automatically canceled when a caregiver enters the room. 

In addition, RTLS-enabled staff badges allow staff to activate smart alerts in the case of an emergency or duress situation. Cox Prosight triggers automatic notifications when staff signals for support at the press of a button. 

Modernize Your Hospital with the RTLS Solution Designed to Improve Operational Efficiency 

Improving hospital operational efficiency is essential for the future of healthcare, and efficient hospitals will be well-positioned for unexpected circumstances and challenges in the industry. While there are many obstacles to achieving operational efficiency in hospitals, our RTLS technology solution addresses many of the common issues that today’s healthcare facilities face. Powered by our IoT platform, Prosight CORE, Prosight is extensive, secure, and affordable. 

Our RTLS solution can be expanded for multiple use cases, eliminating the need for siloed solutions and helping hospitals realize ROI on their investment. Contact our team today to learn how we can customize Cox Prosight to meet your hospital’s unique needs.