Through specimen tracking, work is simplified, faster, and more accurate for every individual. This tracking system is beneficial for identifying specimens of patients without errors, controlling the disease, and infection as well as it helps in tracking specimen process workflow. The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology allows items to be identified and tracked with the help of an RFID reader.
How it works:
As part of the whole tracking process, many steps must be followed from collecting the sample to monitoring it at the end. Firstly, the patient’s specimen will be collected and assigned an active RFID tag for tracking. These tags allow information to transfer wirelessly and increase the ability of companies' individual vials. There are several types of RFID tags which depend on two factors like frequency and feature. This RFID tag contains all the essential information about a specimen, such as patient information, specimen origin, intended destination, and suspected disease. Active RFID tags synchronized and scanned at each checkpoint during the transit from collection to the laboratory database for accurate tracking. GPRS-enabled RFID technology improves the tracking as the scanning is updated at each stage of the transit process.
Afterwards, the specimen arrived at the lab, and it will be scanned to complete the delivery cycle for the status update. To improve productivity, it will integrate the information into the system immediately. Lab personnel monitor each specimen's location, temperature, and status to determine its status during the diagnosis process. Real-time data management is possible with radio frequency identification tags, protecting data from theft and loss. Moreover, there is a growing desire to develop advanced RFID tags for specimen tracking coupled with the growing concern over patient safety.
IOT in healthcare improving accountability with transparency to enhance the IT sector. RFID specimen tracking system aims to reduce labeling errors and avoid misreading of specimen information to increase specimen handling accuracy. Additionally, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the IT industry has adopted this technology to enhance the result of diagnosis samples promptly. As a result, the product demand increased, positively influencing the market growth. Furthermore, the active RFID system enhances the lab productivity by replacing manual transcription processes. Report publication time was significantly reduced through transparency in specimen movement. As a result of being able to locate specimens remotely, workflow distractions have been reduced. Therefore, IT technology assists in reducing operation costs and error-prone situations, as well as in tracking location, temperature, and current lab status during the diagnosis process with 100% visibility.
