Real time location systems (RTLS) are becoming an increasingly common technology in digital health deployments. Many healthcare organisations are implementing RTLS-based solutions to assist with people safety, enhance staff efficiency, improve clinical care outcomes and increase medical device utilisation. 

When it comes to RTLS, most healthcare leaders find themselves deciding between BLE or Wi-Fi-based solutions. 

Understanding the key considerations for healthcare decision makers when investing in RTLS, will help make a more suitable and sustainable choice. 

This article provides a summary of a comprehensive analysis of BLE-based RTLS solutions in healthcare. Access the full whitepaper here.

Key Considerations  

When investing in RTLS, decision-makers must focus on three distinct areas: design, technology lifecycle and operational approach. 

Design

Consider factors such as RTLS interoperability with existing medical technologies, cost-effectiveness, longevity and scalability. Ask yourself – does the RTLS design address the real needs of frontline care teams effectively and is it flexible and scalable to support more advanced needs? 

Equipment lifecycle

Evaluate infrastructure capital and deployment expenses, including costs related to electrical cabling, end-of-life logistics and e-waste management. 

Operational considerations

Assess factors such as infection control management, the level of accuracy required and alignment with wider IT investments. Ask yourself – does it deliver the promised value without adding any administrative burden or compromising other systems?

Wi-Fi & BLE Comparison

Wi-Fi and BLE-based RTLS solutions are often the more popular choices in the healthcare sector. Let’s compare Wi-Fi and BLE from several perspectives. 

Accuracy

Only BLE-based solutions have proven to provide true room-level location accuracy (i.e. not ambiguous locations such as “within +/- 3m”) and it does so at a lower price point with lower operational management burdens.

Latency

Wi-Fi based solutions typically have higher latency, to determine positions on demand, while BLE solutions can offer continuous room level accuracy instantly for mobile devices and rolling 5 second location updates for tag locations. 

Infrastructure density

Wi-Fi based solutions require a high density of infrastructure devices to meet accuracy requirements, which leads to higher costs when compared with BLE-based solutions.  

Infrastructure interoperability

BLE-based solutions typically offer better interoperability across location tags from various vendors, while Wi-Fi deployments often face challenges with interoperability. 

Tag battery life

Wi-Fi tags typically have poor battery life, requiring larger batteries and resulting in bulky tags that are unsuitable for smaller assets and more expensive to purchase and maintain. In contrast, BLE tags can be bought off the shelf and are designed to be extremely power efficient. BLE tags can last several years or longer even with constant tracking. 

Cost

BLE-based solutions have lower capital and operational costs compared to Wi-Fi-based solutions.