KTPH tracks patients, equipment in real time

The Singapore state hospital also plans to use passive RFID wristbands to find patients.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s (KTPH) real-time location system (RTLS) makes it easier to track medical equipment, helping nurses and staff save 20,000 work hours a year by cutting the time spent searching for them.

It also allows the state-owned Singapore hospital to seamlessly transfer patients between departments, Alvin Kuo, assistant director of operations at KTPH, told Healthcare Asia.

“We also use the system to track patients, starting from the point when they are admitted to the emergency department, transferred to the ward, and finally discharged from the hospital,” he said via Zoom.

Since real-time location systems have a built-in battery and power source, they are more accurate and could continuously broadcast their location.

The global RTLS for the healthcare market was valued at $3b in 2024 and is expected to grow 15.34% annually to $11.6b by 2033 as more hospitals adopt the tech, according to market research firm IMARC Group.

The technology, however, is expensive, with each active tag costing about $75 (S$100). “We realised that active RTLS cannot be deployed for all assets due to the tag size and cost,” Kuo said.

Given these limitations, KTPH introduced passive RTLS to track 8,000 more items, complementing the active system that covers about 1,500 items.

The passive system relies on radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which are significantly cheaper at less than $0.75 (S$1) per tag.

Meanwhile, antennas are installed in key areas such as ward entrances and lift lobbies to help the system estimate an equipment’s location, Kuo said.

He noted that before they started using passive RTLS, hospital staff had to manually scan medical equipment and supplies each time they were moved. “They also had to conduct weekly asset scans for reconciliation.”

“When assets can be easily located, preventive maintenance can be carried out on time, an essential factor in maintaining patient care,” he added.

KTPH has also introduced a patient information board (PIB) to improve patient data management. Before this, patient demographic and clinical information were manually recorded on physical whiteboards in hospital wards, Kuo said.

“Now, all relevant information is pulled directly from our electronic medical record (EMR) system,” he said. “For instance, if a patient’s dietary plan changes — such as shifting from solid food to a liquid diet — the patient information board updates this instantly.”

The information board is also integrated with the RTLS system, allowing it to track patients in real time since they wear active RTLS tags while in the hospital.

The feature helps hospital staff find patients due for medical procedures, Kuo said. “With the PIB, they can quickly check if the patient is undergoing a scan or another appointment elsewhere in the hospital.”

Meanwhile, KTPH plans to integrate its active real-time location system and patient information board with Yishun Community Hospital. Both hospitals are grouped together as Yishun Health Campus under Singapore’s National Healthcare Group.

Yishun already uses passive RTLS, Kuo said.

He said KTPH is also exploring the use of passive RFID wristbands as a more discreet alternative to active RTLS tags, which can be bulky for patient tracking.

“[Passive tags] would be less invasive, making them more suitable for certain patients, such as those at risk of self-harm, and elderly patients with cognitive impairments,” he added.