Indoor positioning systems in hospitals: A scoping review

Background Indoor navigation within closed facilities has been subject of studies with different application areas, particularly in recent years (e.g. the navigation requirements of people or the location of objects). Hospitals are of specific interest in this regard as the multitude of technical equipment used is potentially interfering with navigation systems. Objective This research examines relevant studies regarding Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) in hospitals and IPS that are designed for hospitals and in preparation for implementation, by investigating the respective technologies, techniques, prediction-improving methods, evaluation results, and limitations of the IPS. Methods To gather current and future IPS in hospitals, the methodology of a Scoping Review was used. The study has been conducted by applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Framework to the context of IPS in hospitals. The results and limitations concerning current and future IPS in hospitals were gathered and structured by using a highly cited evaluation framework for IPS. Results Thirty-eight studies were considered for this research. The IPS technologies investigated were Bluetooth Low Energy (n = 17), Wireless-Fidelity (n = 10), Hybrids (n = 4), Radio-Frequency Identification (n = 4), Ultra-Wideband (n = 1), Infrared (n = 1) and ZigBee (n = 1). Conclusions This study presents current and future IPS in hospitals. For future IPS research and IPS in hospitals, the theoretical implications contribute to our knowledge about IPS technologies, techniques, prediction-improving methods, evaluation results and limitations during testing/implementing IPS in hospitals. As practical implications, the insights of this study can be used by developers to improve IPS and by hospitals to facilitate IPS implementation.