Bluetooth Tagging – evaluation of potential for efficiency gains from tracking medical equipment
Evidence Overview
Background
- Published literature relating to the tagging of medical equipment was limited in quantity and quality, but illustrates the potential time and resource savings that could be gained from equipment tagging compared with no tagging and manual equipment searching.
- A survey of NHSScotland health boards found limited use of medical equipment tagging and no use of Bluetooth tagging beyond recent pilot studies.
- A recent pilot study conducted within the GRI Emergency Department concluded that the use of Bluetooth tagging led to a reduction in staff time spent searching for medical equipment.
- A cost-minimization analysis based on the pilot data concluded that using Bluetooth tagging to track medical equipment was associated with lower costs of in excess of £600,000 over 5 years compared with no tagging system. The results are driven by a reduction in time (and associated resource costs) spent searching for medical equipment and the value of missing assets avoided. The results are sensitive to the base case assumptions.
- There is no off-the-shelf solution available for medical equipment tracking. Boards would need to adapt current technology options to suit their local requirements and environments.
Assessment
Health service organisation and delivery
29 August 2022
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
