title: Performance analysis of multiple Indoor Positioning Systems in a healthcare environment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The combination of an aging population and nursing staff shortages implies the need for more advanced systems in the healthcare industry. Many key enablers for the optimization of healthcare systems require provisioning of location awareness for patients (e.g. with dementia), nurses, doctors, assets, etc. Therefore, many Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) will be indispensable in healthcare systems. However, although many IPSs have been proposed in literature, most of these have been evaluated in non-representative environments such as office buildings rather than in a hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  To remedy this, the paper evaluates the performance of existing IPSs in an operational modern healthcare environment: the "Sint-Jozefs kliniek Izegem" hospital in Belgium. The evaluation (data-collecting and data-processing) is executed using a standardized methodology and evaluates the point accuracy, room accuracy and latency of multiple IPSs. To evaluate the solutions, the position of a stationary device was requested at 73 evaluation locations. By using the same evaluation locations for all IPSs the performance of all systems could objectively be compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Several trends can be identified such as the fact that Wi-Fi based fingerprinting solutions have the best accuracy result (point accuracy of 1.21 m and room accuracy of 98%) however it requires calibration before use and needs 5.43 s to estimate the location. On the other hand, proximity based solutions (based on sensor nodes) are significantly cheaper to install, do not require calibration and still obtain acceptable room accuracy results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a conclusion of this paper, Wi-Fi based solutions have the most potential for an indoor positioning service in case when accuracy is the most important metric. Applying the fingerprinting approach with an anchor installed in every two rooms is the preferred solution for a hospital environment.
authors: INTEC Department, IBCN, Ghent University, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, 9050, Ghent, Belgium. tom.vanhaute@intec.ugent.be.
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: Van Haute
authors: INTEC Department, IBCN, Ghent University, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, 9050, Ghent, Belgium. eli.depoorter@intec.ugent.be.
authors: Eli
authors: E
authors: De Poorter
authors: Televic NV, Leo Bekaertlaan 1, 8870, Izegem, Belgium. P.Crombez@TELEVIC.com.
authors: Pieter
authors: P
authors: Crombez
authors: TUB, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. lemic@tkn.tu-berlin.de.
authors: Filip
authors: F
authors: Lemic
authors: TUB, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. handzisk@tkn.tu-berlin.de.
authors: Vlado
authors: V
authors: Handziski
authors: SICS, Isafjordsgatan 22, 164 40, Kista, Stockholm, Sweden. niwi@sics.se.
authors: Niklas
authors: N
authors: Wirström
authors: TUB, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. awo@ieee.org.
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Wolisz
authors: SICS, Isafjordsgatan 22, 164 40, Kista, Stockholm, Sweden. thiemo@sics.se.
authors: Thiemo
authors: T
authors: Voigt
authors: INTEC Department, IBCN, Ghent University, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, 9050, Ghent, Belgium. ingrid.moerman@intec.ugent.be.
authors: Ingrid
authors: I
authors: Moerman
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001530:Belgium; D003199:Computer Systems / Q000592:standards; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004777:Environment; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000592:standards*