RFID Solution for Efficient Medical Linen Management

Traditional management troubles

In hospitals, patient gowns, bed sheets, doctor uniforms, and nurse uniforms are all called “linens”. These linens are changed, washed, and used every day, which is very busy. However, many hospitals still rely on manual counting of these linens, such as registering with paper and pen, or relying on staff to count one by one. This method is not only slow, but also prone to errors.

What are the benefits of using RFID?

Automatic counting: The machine counts the linens by itself, which is much faster than manual work, and can save 85% of labor costs.

Prevent loss: Each piece of linen has a number, so there’s no need to worry about getting mixed up or losing it easily.

Full control of cleaning records: How many times it has been washed and when it was last washed, you can find out with a single check.

Cleaner and safer: If the linens are not washed well or used too many times, the system will remind you and you can replace them in time.

Smarter purchasing plans: Through data analysis, you can know when you really need to buy new linens, which can reduce purchasing expenses by half.

How does RFID work?

Using RFID to manage linens, the entire process has been simplified from the original 11 steps to 5, which is easy and efficient:

1. Attach RFID tags to linens
Each piece of linen is attached with a small RFID tag, just like an “ID card” for it. This tag can store basic information about the linen, such as which department it belongs to, how many times it has been used, whether it has been washed, and where it is now.

2. Scanning and counting without hands
Hospitals and laundries use special RFID equipment, such as RFID inventory tables, tunnel machines, and channel machines, which can batch scan a lot of linens at a time, and no longer need to count them one by one manually, which is much faster and has a lower error rate.

3. Recycling becomes smart
As long as the clothes that doctors and nurses change are put into the RFID recycling cabinet, the system will automatically record who put them in and what clothes are put in. In this way, the clothes will not be lost and can be sent for washing in time.

4. Real-time reminder system
The RFID system will automatically monitor the number and washing status of the linens. If there are not enough or some linens are used too many times, a reminder will be automatically issued.

5. Save money
With RFID, hospitals can know the status of each piece of linen more clearly, which ones can still be used and which ones should be scrapped, reducing waste and saving procurement costs.

Summary

Managing hospital linens used to be like looking for a needle in a haystack, which was slow and error-prone; now with RFID technology, it is not only fast but also accurate. Whether it is a hospital or a laundry service company