How Beacon Bluetooth Are Transforming Healthcare

A huge sum of money is spent on healthcare, annually, on healthcare in different parts of the world. It is the reason why some biggest brands are trying to capture this industry with their products and services. The companies, such as Google, Apple, Uber, and Amazon are targeting the healthcare sector for transformation. The Beacon Bluetooth is the technology that is currently making a huge impact in transforming healthcare facilities, globally.

In today’s article, SKYLAB will take a look at how beacon BT technology is helping healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, etc.

Beacon Bluetooth Technology Role in Healthcare

The beacon Bluetooth technology uses BLE (Bluetooth-Low-Energy) to establish a connection with devices, such as smartphones within a specific range. This technology is offering an assortment of openings for healthcare facilities.

For example, this technology can open maps on the gate of the hospital for the patient so that they can enter the appointment chamber. Moreover, this technology can also help patients get lunch coupons at the hospital’s cafeteria. Beacon shipments in the healthcare sector are getting a huge market share in the recent era.

This technology is providing a great opportunity for healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, for revolutionizing the patient and visitor experience.

On the other hand, this technology is also playing its part in improving patient care and many hospital operations. Along with mobile devices, indoor digital maps, and digital kiosks, Bluetooth Low Energy beacons are also enabling hospitals in improving proximity awareness and location. It helps the hospital create a more efficient and familiar environment for visitors and patients.

BLE beacons broadcast short-signal signals up to fifty meters. They broadcast signals for compatible devices, like Bluetooth-enabled tablets or smartphones. Because the signal range is short, usually unchanging, and simple, these beacons don’t require internet connectivity.

Therefore, the beacon Bluetooth devices often come with exceptional battery life. They can last months and even years according to the type of beacon.

Applications of BLE Beacons in the Healthcare Sector

The beacon Bluetooth technology is helping the healthcare sector in various ways. Let’s take a quick look at how this technology is transforming healthcare facilities with its use.

1. Indoor Mapping and Experimental Way-Finding

Usually, hospitals are complicated spaces with a complex network of departmental wings, hallways, consultation rooms, and other rooms. It can cause unwanted anxiety and confusion for visitors and patients.

All hospitals use conventional way-finding signage. However, it still becomes unhelpful and confusing for visitors to understand the right directions within the building.

It is the reason why we see most visitors and patients asking for directions to a particular place from staff members. However, this is not an ideal thing for the hospital.

The combination of BLE beacon and wireless technology can help visitors and patients follow accurate directions of a particular area inside the hospital.

They just need to install the hospital app on their smartphone and the app will take them turn-by-turn to their destination in the hospital. Most hospitals are already using this technology and many would soon be using it.

Using this technology will help hospitals create an improved patient experience while ensuring fewer staff interruptions. Moreover, the hospital will be able to get insights into the flow of visitors and patients through their facility.

2. Automated Check-In

Apart from the location-finding element, beacon Bluetooth technology also improves and accommodates the automated check-in of patients.

Visitors or patients who have the official mobile app of the hospital are not required to wait in the registration queue. After the registration of the patient, the app will notify patients to simply follow directions according to the signals of the beacon towards the appointment location.

This service removes the hassle of talking to the administration officers about your appointment and location. Automated check-in is fast and hassle-free. It is the need of the hour because time is significant not only for the hospital staff but also for the patients. Deploying this technology will bring fruitful results for both hospital administration and patients/visitors.

3. Clinical Care

BLE beacon comes with several advantages, but proximity-based notifications have been one of the most sought-after features of this technology.

Because of the range of the beacons, they can trigger messages when a practitioner or patient enters a particular area. For example, the indoor mapping program with the integrated beacon can retrieve patient records automatically when a nurse or doctor reaches the bed of a patient.

We can also use beacons to deliver warnings when children or elderly patients are close to sensitive equipment or a hazardous area. It will quickly inform staff members about their presence so that they can react quickly to avoid a possible misshape. It is one of the best uses of beacon Bluetooth technology in the healthcare sector.

4. Location-Based Communications

A hospital can trigger communication forms and notifications on staff or patient locations by using this technology in the real-time location-finding health system.

For example, it is possible to stream the information of the condition of a patient during the consultation time. Internal staff can communicate through the app. If there is an emergency, this technology will allow the hospital to route the nearest staff to the visitor or patient. This technology can prove life-saving in moments where time to deal with the patient is so critical.

5. Facilities Management

Proximity and location-based technology, in combination with the hospital’s wireless asset management, helps in delivering improved tracking of the hospital resources and equipment.

It is possible to tag, track, and locate every single part of the equipment. Therefore, this technology is also playing a great role in managing facilities in the most effective possible manner.

Summary

Beacon Bluetooth technology is making a huge impact in the transformation of healthcare facilities to the latest standards. As we need maximum convenience and accuracy in all departments of our lives, so this technology is exactly what every healthcare facility must follow.

Beacon BT technology does not only help visitors and patients quickly find locations within the hospital, but it is also helping the hospital management.