Healthcare's growing implementation of asset and patient tracking technologies helped pave the way for solid growth among patient flow automation vendors last year, driven mainly by the industry's need to cut costs, increase efficiencies and improve the quality of patient care. Companies such as Pittsburgh-based TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., which experienced its eighth straight year of growth in 2009, already are forecasting 2010 to be another growth year.

With most in the healthcare industry declaring pending health reform legislation a done deal, TeleTracking Technologies' prediction is probably a very safe bet. Last year, the provider of patient flow automation solutions and services to the hospital market added more than 70 new hospital clients and strengthened its strategic base with key acquisitions and partnerships, including the NaviCare Patient Flow division of Hill-Rom, the 'sensor network-based' RTLS company RadarFind, and the exclusive world-wide license for a specialized transfer center management application. This software streamlines the information gathering and managing of the extensive, dispersed communication required to refer and accept a critically ill patient.

Recognizing that the patient flow continuum extends beyond the four walls of a typical hospital, the transfer center management application will be integrated into TeleTracking's Bed Management Suite, with an eye toward improving patient flow among larger healthcare organizations that accept transfers or referrals from other hospitals.

According to president and CEO Anthony Sanzo, each acquisition and partnership was executed to support TeleTracking's strategic plan "to touch and improve all facets of the patient care continuum affecting patient flow."

It should be a busy year on the RTLS front.