Radio Frequency Identification, Real Time Location Systems, and Wireless Networking are all to IEEE 802.11 standards.

Tags emit a constant signal that is picked up by the fixed readers therefore important people and assets can be located on a real time basis. RFID signals travel through barriers such as walls therefore ensuring a secure system throughout the care facility.

RFID Tag / Reader systems work at several fixed industry standard frequencies. AMCS, as part of the initial consultation, will determine what system works best within your environment. This will depend on the layout and build of your care facility.

Contact AMCS and we will provide a free consultation and visit to understand your unique requirements.

Each Real Time Location System solution requires RFID tags (for patient, infant, asset or healthcare workflow), RFID readers (installed within the care facility) and specialised software.  With the help of a Care Facility Floor Plan, AMCS can advise where readers should be installed. The floor plan is also used to generate the unique software package for each care facility.

Installation depends on the size and complexities of each care facility.  Any electrical work will conform to the hospital’s Health and Safety Standards.  For Real Time Location Systems, once the electrical work is complete, a ward can generally be configured and tested in less than a week.

Readers are typically installed at:

• All Exits
• Ward Exits
• Stairwells
• Emergency Doors

Hazard Areas: such as Plant Rooms, Kitchens and Drug Dispensing Areas.
The number of readers within a ward depend on whether you require a tamperproof or non-tamperproof solution.
Readers are installed at ceiling height not to interfere with existing equipment, switches and other devices.

The Software package includes a visual map of your facility showing actual location and movement of tags and readers. It raises alarms for out of boundary activity, low battery tags and tampered tags. All tags are battery operated and the software will identify tags that have low battery and ready for replacement. Depending on amount of use and system setup, tags can last between 1 and 5 years. For asset tracking it can show the exact location of a required piece of equipment or indeed show that this is currently out of commission etc. The reporting function can also be used to provide a history report. While the software integrates with existing IT systems, it will have no impact on other software you currently run.

No. For a basic patient tag, all that is required is to securely attach a pre programmed tag around a wrist or ankle. For an infant tag there may be simple initial input required to identify the infant. For asset tagging there is a normal initial setup to identify the device and allow easy future locating.

No, you choose. AMCS offers the option of a tamper proof system. These tags alarm if removed.

Patients, infants and children are allowed free access within a specified safe area. Safe areas are designated by the care facility.

This depends on end user needs: There are many options to choose from including a warning light, a discrete page message to key personnel, an audible alarm or even a complete door lock trigger for possible abduction scenario or entry to hazardous areas. AMCS systems can be setup to match your existing safety policies.

Very simply by using the RTLS software package all tagged assets can be located in real time. It can be as easy as logging in the name of the asset and then seeing on the monitor where it is within the care facility.

Facilities choose Assetlink Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) in order to effectively manage their health facility assets.  AMCS work with healthcare clients to develop a completely a tailored asset management database.  This allows technical and care staff to create maintenance work order requests from various hospital and healthcare locations, have access to important asset information and documentation, and have visibility of overall healthcare asset performance.

Assetlink EAM can be combined with AMCS’s Real Time Location Systems to ensure that the healthcare facility has a cost-effective asset tracking and asset management system, that best matches the specific health facility needs.

This can help you in many ways. For example if your team have suggested some important changes to improve patient flow through a particular regular hospital procedure, then the implementation of this can be monitored and measured using workflow management tagging. Not just limited to staff or patient, it can be used for any workflow practices for example blood testing or equipment efficiency.

AMCS Medical trains all employees and provides specific end user training documents. This training is targeted and unique to the different needs of senior management, nursing staff, technical personnel and security.  As part of planned service agreements, AMCS can provide training on a regular, scheduled basis.

Readers are POE (Power Over Ethernet). The whole system uses battery backups for a limited lifetime. Each system has a surge protect for emergency generator start ups.

All AMCS Medical Systems are modular and scalable. Once the initial system is installed, it is very simple to add extra wards, areas, new equipment and software.  As your reporting and tracking needs evolve, the software can be used to provide this functionality such as in areas of improving efficiency, audit records, equipment optimisation etc