ABSTRACT
Clinical work in modern hospitals is characterized by a high degree of mobility, frequent interruptions, and much ad hoc collaboration between colleagues with different areas if expertise. Hospitals are faced with higher patient loads and smaller budgets, necessitating greater efficiency. Greater productivity could be partly achieved through improvements in hospital information systems. However the medical care for patients differs from traditional workplaces. The primary concern of doctors and nurses is the patient, not the information system, and thus they put a strong premium on usability. In this paper we describe the design of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled inpatient safety management system (RISMS) and how it can offer a viable solution for the point of care, achieving a high degree of usability through a user-centered design process. The performance evaluations as well as the expected benefits of the system are also discussed.
