Test and Evaluation of Patient Tracking Platform: Use of Near Field Communication

Background: In an earthquake situation, medical response communities such as field and referral hospitals are challenged with injured victims’ identification and tracking. Materials and Methods: In our project, a patient tracking platform (PTP) was developed where first responders triage the patients with an electronic tag that report the location and some information of each patient during his/her movement. This platform includes: 1) Near Field Communication (NFC) tags (ISO 14443), 2) Smart mobile phones (Android-based version 4.2.2), 3) Base station laptops (Windows), 4) Server software, 5) Android software to use by first responders, 5) Disaster Command software, and 6) System Architecture. Results: Our model has been completed through literature review, Delphi technique, focus group, design the platform, and implementation in an earthquake exercise. Test and evaluation of PTP platform were done collaborating with Red Cross staff successfully. Conclusion: It is demonstrated the robustness of the patient tracking platform (PTP) in tracking six patients in a simulated earthquake situation in the yard of the relief and rescue department of Isfahan’s Red Crescent.