By By Dan Hounsell

Healthcare facilities managers have tapped into the power of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for years, from tracking and gathering information on HVAC system components to streamlining inventory management. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened another application for the technology.

Facing the challenge of a complex rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, Pennsylvania’s Reading Hospital recently deployed RFID to track every vial removed from an ultra-freezer, placed in refrigeration, transported to the vaccination clinic to be administered, and sometimes returned to refrigeration, according to Campus Safety. The hospital’s management envisioned the solution after several weeks of providing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. The hospital sought to make the process more seamless and maintain an automated digital record.

Reading Hospital already leveraged RFID technology to manage pharmaceuticals. The system provides two clinical applications: the tracking and management of goods on crash cart trays and in emergency kits, as well as kit and crash cart tray inventory management.

With the technology, the hospital can assure a proper count of vials in the refrigerator and monitor expiration dates. The collected data is stored in cloud-based software, and Reading Hospital can view and analyze this information and share it with the Pennsylvania Health Department.