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To: English 202 Class Members
From:
Subject: Hot Topic Memo
Date: July 16, 2008
The intention of this memo is to notify the class about
In healthcare there has been a rise in the use of on Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) or “radio tags” from patient identification to tracking inventory (Paddock 1). This technology is intended to increase hospital efficiency and patient safety. However, a new Dutch study proposes that medical equipment may be hindered by electromagnet interference (EMI) from RFID devices (Maxwell 1). Since this is a relatively new topic in health care, it is anticipated that this memo will aid in answering some of your questions, provide resources, and give an overview of the future research on this topic.
A RFID tag is a very small chip that transmits radio-wave signals (Maxwell 1). These signals can be tracked up to 10 feet (1). The tags can be connected or inserted into humans, animals, or products (1). Direct communication between the reading device and chip is not necessary (1). Actually, the reading devices can interpret data through nonmetallic martial’s such as our bodies (1). There are two types of RFID, “passive” which has to be “read” and active that sends out information (Paddock 1).
The U.S. health care industry spends about $90 million every year on the use of RFID devices (Maxwell 2). Health care industries are eager to discover additional uses due to the decreasing size and price of these devices (2). The employment of this technology in the next 10 years is projected to increase to $2 billion (2). However, there is some cause for concern that we need to know more about this technology and its implications on patient safety before we start to use it so heavily in the medical field.
A recent study was published in JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association was conducted by Remko van der Togt, Erik Jan van Lieshout, and colleagues at the...