Using GPS Technology to Improve Patient Care

This is a guest post by Greg Bartlett. If you're interested in submitting a guest post, please contact me.

A GPS tracker can be a pretty nifty device, regardless of which job you hold. Medical personnel are finding that these handy little objects can help them be more available for their clients, as well as for the rest of the hospital staff at a moment’s notice. Some hospitals have found that even individuals that are not involved in the bedside care of a patient can still benefit from using a GPS tracker. A recent group has put out phones that are specifically designed to aid and enrich the abilities of non-clinical personnel.

How does a GPS tracker work in a hospital? The basic idea is very similar to that of your average GPS device. Start with a GPS tracking device and attach it to an object or a person that you are trying to follow. Once the device has been activated, it will begin transmitting information from itself to a centralized system. Normal GPS devices use a series of satellites in outer space, while a hospital device uses a centralized system within the hospital. Once the information is transmitted, a central computer receives the information and records it. A hospital technician can be constantly monitoring the data so that he can find a nurse, doctor, or other medical personnel at any time. This is also helpful when finding those non-clinical personnel, such as janitors, technicians, hospital administrators, and many other positions.

Hospitals have begun using smartphones that have been created for this very purpose. This allows the staff to communicate with each other on a regular basis, have access to important information about patients or schedules, research medical information online at a moment’s notice, and be able to be found on the grounds whenever available. The progress that has been made with this achievement is only beginning and it will continue to grow as it is researched and expanded. Some additional uses have been to use it to track patients, find machinery within the hospital and follow emergency vehicles when they respond to situations.

A GPS tracker could be the answer to many problems for you. Whether you are one of the medical personnel within a hospital and trying to find out what options are available for you, or if you are the hospital itself looking for ways to find your staff, you should take a few minutes to see how GPS tracking can help you.

Greg Batlett runs Copy-hub.com. He specializes in writing about health and technology, including GPS and insurance, and has earned two master’s degrees.