Considerations

You will need to install software in order to interpret location tracking data and show where your tracked assets are.

You will need to consider:

• what other systems may want to extract this information  
• how you will feed any data into them
• how to check that they are compatible/interoperable.

For example, if you are looking to introduce RTLS  to support a specific use case, such as tracking bed occupancy in a ward, we recommend that you consult your supplier(s) to confirm that any new software used to track occupancy can integrate with your existing systems, such as those used for Electronic Patient Records (EPRs).

In some cases, an independent assessment of the compatibility of the software and systems may be required. These can be carried out by internal teams or by consulting or contracting an external third party.

Tracking of people or assets will generate sensitive data and efforts must be undertaken to ensure that there are access controls and appropriate security controls, such as data encryption, in place to ensure that only approved systems and personnel can access this data in storage or in transit.

Whenever implementing new technologies it is essential to:

Review the Data Security and Protection (DSPT) Toolkit. This is an online self-assessment tool that allows organisations to measure their performance against the National Data Guardian’s 10 data security standards. As data security standards evolve, the requirements of the DSPT are reviewed and updated to ensure they are aligned with current best practice.

Refer to Cyber Essentials. This is an effective, government backed baseline scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber-attacks.

When implementing RTLS for people and asset tracking you will need to give consideration to and take into account the GDPR considerations and consent. Depending on the technology, approach and data stored the option to opt out for people who do not want themselves or their data to be tracked may be required.

When implementing RTLS we recommend you should consult your local Information Governance and Human Resources/People Management teams to seek their guidance on any relevant national or international standards relating to personal data capture and retention.

To share RTLS data with your other systems you will need to be aware of what data exchange standards are supported and how this impacts the dataflows.

When using asset tracking solutions, consideration should be given to implement GS1 standards for the identification of assets. GS1 standards are widely used for the unique identification of products in the healthcare industry. By adopting GS1 standards, healthcare organisations can identify assets using globally unique identifiers, captured in barcodes and/or RFID tags. Find out more in the Guidelines for the adoption of GS1 standards for asset management.

Using GS1 standards for barcoding assets can facilitate the implementation of advanced technologies. 

Looking to get the best out of your incumbent equipment and connectivity technologies could be more cost efficient and quicker to implement than introducing entirely new solutions.

This paper focusses on getting the most from what you may have already installed. For awareness, it is also possible to contract a supplier as a 3rd party to provide, implement and run a complete RTLS solution.

To track assets or people in real time there are two basic elements, some sort of tag that is attached or built into  the device or person you want to track and antennae in the building that can detect where that tag is

These tags fall into two categories, Active and Passive. In the simplest terms, an Active tag is one that can broadcast a signal to identify its location, whereas a passive tag can only respond to received signals.  An active tag requires a power source, such as a battery, while a passive tag does not. 

Receivers may need to be installed throughout the building so radio surveys may be required, see see Measuring and collecting Wi-Fi performance metrics, to ensure the necessary coverage for the required applications.

As a very large number of tags may be needed, consideration should be given to cost per unit (with allowances for attrition through loss and damage), tag distribution and environmental issues of storage and disposal.

Battery management is an important part of an effective RTLS solution. Some devices use rechargeable batteries with others using non-rechargeable batteries, and it is important to consider this in terms of availability & performance, cost, and environmental impact. The life of active tag batteries can vary, with Wi-Fi tags typically requiring more frequent charging and those in low power devices, such as RFID and BLE5, lasting from many months to several years.

Other considerations for deploying RTLS capabilities include:

• building maps/plans produced and reviewed
• hardware and site survey(s)
• process change considerations
• config/setup of hardware and software
• user training and user acceptance testing