International Effort- How are we doing in RTLS?

Over the last 4 weeks, I have spoken to some of my readers about one of my on-going projects.   I am surveying employees in 2 hospital departments to get an idea of how well all the international efforts  are going in penetrating American healthcare organizations with education and information about RFID/RTLS in regards to assets.

Vendors, not-for-profit organizations, and professional associations from all over the globe put a great deal of effort and money into educating and informing healthcare leadership and key personnel about RFID/RTLS.  Conference traffic around RFID/RTLS is up.  My blog statistics reflect the United States, UK, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, Australia, and Brazil, as the majority of my audience.  When I speak with people face-to-face, I see serious inquiry and even excitement in their manner.  So, the efforts and money seem to be working.  But, each week my phone calls give me a reality check as to how much more we can do here is the United States.  This may be relevant to other countries as well.

My mobile service porvider has grandfathered me into their unlimited data and voice plan.  They no longer offer this in the U.S. and are probably scheming to get me off of it right now.  If I printed my call log it would look like a governmental legislative bill.  Each week I serve hours in cold-call jail.  The self-imposed jail sentence, I pin myself to a chair, put my face into an HP Pavilion, lay my Motorola Droid on the chair's arm with the speaker on, and I make my way down a very long list of hospitals.

I contact supply chain offices and the biomedical equipment repair/clinical engineering offices.  Yes, that is at least 2 calls per hospital.  These people are normally associated with the low hanging fruit that can get a quick return on investment.  My calls are not an assessment of sales activity though there are some implications.  I am getting an idea how well we are reaching certain people.

I will not publish the details of my finding but my questions are pretty simple.  I ask about RTLS, I listen for silence and the eventual response.  After completing the questions, I leave room for conversation if the person on the call is willing.  They usually are.  If they aren’t, I move on to the next call. 

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 Policy, process, EAM/CMMS and RTLS
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For the most part, awareness is not looking good. 1. Budgets are a problem.  Work schedules are stressed.  I find that staff members are not attending conferences.  This includes AHRMM, HIMSS, and AAMI.  Information is not getting pushed down to some key people.  2. Those who work for hospital systems that have recently purchased RFID/RTLS platforms tend wait on something to be dropped on them to use.  Exactly what or how they need to use it, they are unsure.  3.  The facilities that have working groups that talk and share information tend to know more, train more, and have an idea of the corporate plan.  These were very few in comparison to the couple hundred organizations I have contacted so far.