Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to:|1. Evaluate the implementation of a new innovation of a RFID-based supply chain process on employee satisfaction in an electrophysiology (EP) and heart catheterization procedure centers in a Midwest healthcare organization.|2. Evaluate the implementation of a new innovation of a RFID based supply chain process on finances in one heart catheterization and EP department in a Midwest healthcare organization.|Background: A large Midwest academic medical center made a significant investment in a new technology to manage their cardiac surgery department supplies, but it remained unclear if the organization could expect to see a return on this investment.
Sample/Setting/Methods: Survey was conducted on staff members in the EP & Heart Catheterization Labs at a hospital that has adopted the RFID technology for supply management and a hospital that does not utilize RFID technology. Data was abstracted from the current electronic RFID enabled supply system and from administrative financial reports from the RFID enabled medical center.|Results: A total of 20 hospital staff responded with 75% of the respondents from the RFID hospital. Respondents from the RFID hospital were more likely (73%) to disagree or strongly disagree that their hospital had the right amount of inventory versus the non-RFID staff (20%). RFID respondents were more likely to be less concerned about finding expired or recalled products, but non-RFID respondents were more likely to be overall satisfied with their supply system process. Financial and supply data noted no change in supply expense per procedure in the RFID hospital but number of products on hand and cost of expired products decreased.|Conclusion: The RFID system showed the ability to decrease the number of products on hand and the lost cost of expired products, but no significant difference was seen in supply expense per procedure and overall staff satisfaction was less with RFID.