Study Causes Medical RFID Panic

A just-released study by University of Amsterdam researchers highlights “potential hazardous incidents” in hospital equipment due to electromagnetic interference from RFID devices.

Since the release in the Journal of the American Medical Association, news articles and blogs have been published with story after story about these potential hazards, most with a tone of panic – one even entitled: RFID could kill you. But, before we all abandon our RFID programs in fear of injury or death, let’s take a closer look at what the study really says.

The conclusion in the report’s abstract states that:

“In a controlled nonclinical setting, RFID induced potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices. Implementation of RFID in the critical care environment should require on-site EMI tests and updates of international standards.”

The key piece here being that testing should be done prior to implementing an RFID solution in a medical environment.

Experts at Dynamic Computer insist that pilot testing and in-depth assessments must precede ANY implementation of an RFID program, in the medical sphere or otherwise. If properly tested and configured, these types of hazards can be avoided.

One blogger points to another simple consideration – the RFID industry could develop standards for medical industry device frequencies that would not cause interference with the hospital equipment, which runs on a different frequency.

Dana Blankenhorn, of ZDNet Healthcare’s blog, explains that:

“… use of unlicensed spectrum should guarantee there is no interference with any gear running on licensed frequencies, and there are frequencies licensed specifically for use by medical devices.”

This seems to be a simple and reasonable suggestion, which in all likelihood is already underway among medical RFID device manufacturers.

In any case, the benefits of RFID implementation in many industries, including the medical industry, far outweigh any potential risks when carefully pilot tested and customized prior to execution.

Would an RFID consultation help you understand the potential benefits in your industry?

Dynamic Computer is a great source for RFID information and can help you evaluate how RFID could enhance your operation. We provide comprehensive and customized RFID solutions from concept, through testing, to implementation!

Visit the Dynamic Computer Corporation Web site or call 248-473-2200. We offer an RFID Demo tour where you can experience the technology in action! You can visit us and request a tour of our facility at 23400 Industrial Park Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.