Hospitals are adopting high-tech innovations like 3-D printed building models, telemedicine drones and mega RFID systems, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
Doctors Without Borders, for instance, is using 3-D printing and virtual reality to design its hospitals. The 3-D model allows the organization to move walls and spaces as it looks for an efficient design.
Meanwhile, drone developers believe the technology can improve telehealth in remote areas. Drone use can conduct reconnaissance to provide aerial photography and video of a scene; deliver medical equipment and provide communication between patients and providers.
And New University Hospital in Denmark is deploying RFID technology to tag nearly 1,000 beds, 74 carts, 94 pieces of medical equipment and 7,000 hospital garments. The technology should reduce the amount of time employees spend searching for assets and people, and cut asset loss.