News | June 24, 2008

Dutch Study Shows RFID Tracking Systems Interfere with Medical Equipment

June 25, 2008 - The electromagnetic interference (EMI) produced by radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems can interfere with critical care medical devices, according to a new study by the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

The findings were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In a controlled nonclinical setting, RFID induced potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices, including ventilators, pacemakers and infusion pumps, raising the question as to the safe compatibility of these systems in the critical care environment.

Without a patient being connected, clinicians who conducted the study measured the level of EMI on medical devices using two different RFID systems (active 125 kHz and passive 868 MHz). The tests measured the interference with 41 medical devices (in 17 categories, 22 different manufacturers). The interference was measured and classified as hazardous, significant, or light.

In 123 EMI tests RFID induced 34 EMI incidents. Of these, 22 were classified as hazardous, two as significant, and 10 as light. The passive 868-MHz RFID signal induced a higher number of incidents with 26 incidents in 41 EMI tests, which was a 63 percent incident rate as compared to a rate of about 20 percent with active 125-kHz RFID. The passive RFID signal induced EMI in 26 medical devices, including eight that were also affected by the active RFID signal. The median distance between the RFID reader and the medical device in all EMI incidents was 30 cm.

Active RFID systems use a radio frequency emitting tag that is attached to equipment or patients so they can be tracked and easily located on a map screen called up on a computer. Passive RFID tag includes inventory tags that can be read automatically by an RFID detector, similar to retail tags that set off alarms at the exit doors at stores.

For more information: http://jama.ama-assn.org


Related Content

Feature | Inventory Management | Dave Fornell

Tracking cardiovascular device inventory in cath labs, electrophysiology (EP) labs and operating rooms (ORs) can be a ...

Home April 28, 2017
Home
Sponsored Content | Videos | Inventory Management

The supplies you use in your cath lab are complex and very valuable. Protecting your investment and uncovering new ...

Home February 17, 2017
Home
News | Inventory Management

February 15, 2017 — Better hospital supply chain management leads to better quality of care and supports patient safety ...

Home February 15, 2017
Home
Sponsored Content | Case Study | Inventory Management

The supply chain can serve as a critical strategic asset when addressing important initiatives tied to managing costs ...

Home February 07, 2017
Home
Webinar | Inventory Management

How healthy is your cath lab supply chain? Do you struggle with managing inventory across your cath lab supply chain? It ...

Home February 01, 2017
Home
Sponsored Content | Whitepapers | Inventory Management

Annual waste for high-value medical devices continues to grow at a rapid pace. With bundled payments putting increased ...

Home January 31, 2017
Home
Feature | Inventory Management | Dave Fornell

(Editors note: This article was written in 2014, and was updated with more recent information in January 2017.) ...

Home January 31, 2017
Home
Feature | Inventory Management | Jean-Claude Saghbini

The healthcare industry’s transition to value-based care leaves no room for waste, and yet we know that inefficiency in ...

Home October 28, 2016
Home
Sponsored Content | Videos | Inventory Management

With quality of care and cost efficiency at the top of your mind, there is no room in your hospital for waste from high ...

Home October 28, 2016
Home
Whitepapers | Inventory Management

As healthcare moves into the era of bundled payments, providers need to be especially focused on ensuring delivery of ...

Home October 18, 2016
Home
Subscribe Now