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Allevo Adopts RFID-Based Nursing Program
[February 07, 2006]

Allevo Adopts RFID-Based Nursing Program


By DAVID SIMS

TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist

Allevo, which provides medical care for businesses, has announced that in an effort to "enhance" the delivery of home health care in the Netherlands, they're adopting Nedap's iO TouchPro product, a combination of the iO concept for Care registration and Nokia Field Force Solution.



Allevo Home Care Institute officials say they're using the Radio Frequency IDentification technology to "improve the delivery of service to its patients across the Netherlands."

"Using iO TouchPro, our more than 700 nurses can quickly and reliably register their visits with their patients, freeing up valuable time to spend with the patient. And, the iO Concept ensures that we have the most up-to-date, accurate information available at all times," said Theo van Campen, CEO Allevo.


The Nokia's RFID technology being used allows the health care providers to "maintain up-to-date, accurate information real-time," van Campen said.

The way it works is with iO, every client is provided with a contact free chip card when they become Allevo clients. At each visit, the nurse touches the chip card using a Nokia 3220 phone with RFID reader to register their visit, eliminating the need to fill in forms and giving the nurse the most up-to-date information on the client.

The controversial RFID technology is being used in human-implantable chips. Six Sigma Security, Inc, announced yesterday the installation and integration of the access control module of VeriChip Corp's VeriGuard Security Suite, including VeriChip's human-implantable RFID microchip, as part of a project for CityWatcher.com.

Dr. Jim Scott with Doctor's Urgent Care of Milford, Ohio performed the application of the implantable microchip. Doctor's Urgent Care has 10 physicians available at their facilities to implant the microchip, which is used for both medical, as well as security purposes.

A new ABI Research study of RFID tracking in the pharmaceutical industry, anticipates that no more than about ten medications will be tagged on a large scale during 2006, according to company officials.

Quite a change from last year, when the evidence suggested a nearly 3.5-fold increase in life-sciences RFID transponder shipments between 2005 and 2006.

Not that it'll derail the industry: RFID technology in the retail consumer products goods sector reached $161 million in 2005, with hardware accounting for 41 percent, said an analyst firm.

According to Microwave Engineering Online, Venture Development Corp. estimates RFID will grow at a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 57 percent during the next four years, with revenue exceeding $1.5 billion in 2010.

David Sims is contributing editor for TMCnet. For more articles please visit David Sims' columnist page.


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