The same radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that enables commuters to enter the MRT with one swipe of their easycard may soon give medical professionals at Hualien's Yu Li Hospital the ability to track a portion of their 2,500 mentally ill patients.
Yu Li Hospital is working in conjunction with Chunghwa Telecom to develop RFID bracelets that will help detect and locate patients in the event they have a fall, an accident or go missing, said Yu Li's director of medical affairs Hu Tsung-Ming (胡宗明).
In addition to locating patients, the bracelets will come with a sensor that measures each patients' body temperature and beams back the information to the hospital's computer system. They will also contain a panic button for patients to press if they need immediate help, Hu said.
Residents with the ability to control their condition with the help of medication are encouraged to be active within the confines of Yu Li's facilities.
There are no iron bars on the windows of the "living communities" where highly functional residents live. However, Hu said there was still a need to keep tabs on patients for safety's sake.
"We are not trying to track or control the location of patients, but to make sure they are not in danger," he said.
For example, if a patient is detected as being immobile in the bathroom for an extended period of time a staff member may check to make sure he or she is alright, Hu said.
Another benefit the bracelet might bring is to reduce staffing costs for routine actions such as roll calls and taking temperatures, Hu said. The bracelets are waterproof, impact-resistant and issue immediate alerts if residents attempts to remove them.
Only 30 percent of patients have consented to wearing such a bracelet thus far, Hu said.
"It will take some time to convince them to trust the new technology," he said.
Around 100 residents are scheduled to test the new technology in September, according to a hospital release. An update on the progress of the program should be out by the end of the year, Hu said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS