FORMALIZATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TOOLS IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPROVING HEALTHCARE SERVICE DELIVERY

Abstract

In the current era of healthcare digitalization, RFID technologies are becoming a key tool for improving the efficiency of clinical processes, enhancing patient safety, and optimizing resource management. Most existing approaches to evaluating RFID systems rely on conventional parameters such as reading range, throughput, and data exchange speed. While these metrics outline the technological potential, they fail to reflect the specific conditions of hospital environments or the requirements of international standards. The aim of this research was to develop a model for formalizing the clinical suitability of RFID systems that combines basic metrics with integral coefficients oriented toward safety, speed, and reliability. The study analyzed the limitations of traditional evaluation methods and identified factors that reduce RFID efficiency in hospitals, including humidity, metallic surfaces, electromagnetic interference, and limited time windows for identification. A set of primary and derived parameters was proposed: the critical identification time coefficient, the reading success rate, the Clinical Suitability Index of RFID (CSI-RFID), and the adaptive environmental coefficient (k_env). Weighting factors were calibrated using multi-criteria decision-making methods (AHP, TOPSIS), which made it possible to integrate technical and clinical requirements. The novelty of the study lies in the transition from purely technical assessments to a comprehensive approach focused on clinical outcomes. The proposed model demonstrated that even high-performing RFID systems effective in laboratory settings may lose efficiency in real hospital environments, thus confirming the need for integral evaluation metrics. The practical value of the work is the possibility of applying the results to select optimal RFID solutions for hospitals, thereby improving the quality of healthcare services and patient safety.