Do you know where your forceps are?
It's one of those questions hospital administrators would rather not have to ask, but as more and more health care organizations begin using radio frequency identification technology (RFID), the question is becoming much easier to answer.
Today, Ontario's Information Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian in association with computer maker Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co. released a new guide designed to help health care professionals understand the benefits and privacy concerns of RFID technology and how its electronic tagging and tracking properties can help make their administrative lives easier while saving lives.
A typical RFID tag consists of a microchip capable of storing information and an antenna that can transmits data over radio waves back to a computer database for tracking and storage.
But the technology is not without its detractors, which is likely why some in the health care field have been slow to adopt RFID-systems. Critics worry that because of their size and their ability to be tracked from a distance, RFID tags could be affixed to individuals or sensitive personal information and property - in the health care example this could apply to blood samples or other biological material - without the individual's consent, raising privacy concerns.
"Everyone from health-care providers, to patients, to privacy advocates, want the best tracking technology possible in the health sector, without the needless invasion of privacy," Ms. Cavoukian said.
In some U.S. hospitals, tiny RFID tags are being used to track surgical equipment and sponges during procedures to ensure they aren't left inside patients following surgery. Others are using the tags as a means of keeping track of medications while more than 400 U.S. hospitals are now using the technology to create "baby-and-mother matching systems" designed to prevent newborn mix-ups and abductions. One type of tag which can be affixed to a newborn triggers a hospital lock-down if the infant is taken outside of a secure area without authorization.
The joint whitepaper entitled "RFID and Privacy: Guidance for Health-Care Providers" deals with the implications of employing the tags when they are used to track people, things and things associated with people.
In a column due to be released today, Ms. Cavoukian writes that "while there are many benefits in using RFID technology in the health-care sector, concerns arise regarding the protection of personal information and the tracking of individuals."