Real-Time Low Energy Indoor Positioning System to Efficient Use of Operating Theaters with Medical Asset and Staff Tracking

Abstract

Efficient use of operating theaters would benefit hospitals financially as well as reducing the waiting time required for surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of use of the operating theatres and the amount of waste time in the use of those rooms for the different surgical branches. For this study, ”intelligent transmitters with low energy consumption” will be placed on the operating tables, the patient’s stretcher and on the all working staff. Intelligent transmitters with low energy consumption will communicate over ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) band. By analyzing the data obtained after 6 months period; the workload of the operation theatres will be determined for the different surgical branches. With the system developed in this study, operating theater efficiency and personnel performance were examined by calculating ”insufficient time” (planned time - busy time) or ”overused time” (participated time - planned time). The results obtained with the approach in this study showed that 23.7% of the time was saved. Since the average two-year number of surgeries at Trakya University Research Hospital is around 15,000, this improvement could boost clinical quality improvement initiatives by increasing the more efficient use of operating rooms.