scope:

This recommended practice contains a common framework of IEEE SA location services for healthcare (LS-H). LS-H includes hardware and software that provides location information for clinical and non-clinical healthcare use cases. The framework includes 1) common terminology and 2) a conceptual information model.

Purpose

This common framework is a foundation for future LS-H standards and recommended practices intended to improve healthcare efficiency and value. Healthcare provider organizations desire these technologies to automatically track and trace items and people for a large variety of use cases such as asset tracking, surgical workflow, and patient elopement. These technologies have many potential benefits such as inventory optimization, reducing patient wait times, and increasing patient and staff safety.

Prior to this framework, industry lacked common terminology and a model to frame interoperability development. Implementers experienced challenges of non-standardized solutions such as custom interfaces, multiple redundant infrastructures, long implementations, and difficult sustainment. LS-H standards and recommended practices will increase interoperability, reduce redundancy, increase adoption, increase innovation, and improve consumer confidence.