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Identification, tracking, and security systems designed for patient care and/or staff location within a healthcare facility and to track entry into and exit from the facility. These systems include an identification tag, usually in the form of an ankle band, wrist band, or badge, typically with a radio transmitter attached (active tag) or that works with the energy supplied by the location device (passive tag); a tag-detection device (e.g., a reader); dedicated software; and a unit that displays information regarding the individual\'s location. The systems are used to locate healthcare staff and patients; they are also used to prevent mentally disoriented, cognitively impaired patients from wandering into off-limit areas of the facility and from leaving the facility (elopement) without authorization. Systems intended for mentally disoriented patients (e.g., geriatric) include capabilities to detect when a patient wearing a tag moves toward an off-limit area; a detector (e.g., receiver) picks up the signal from the patient\'s tag and sends the information to the alerting and control unit to notify staff of the patient\'s movement. Control mechanisms, such as magnetic door locks, may also be activated.
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