Performance Analysis of the Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm in a VLC System for Localization in Hospital Environments  
[PERSON]  
1 School of Informatics and Telecommunications, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370067, Chile; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
1 School of Informatics and Telecommunications, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370067, Chile; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
2 Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370451, Chile 2*  
one of the goals of these systems is to know the position of mobile devices, airplanes, cars, and warehouse products in indoor environments. The deployment of such systems in hospital settings marks a significant advance, offering profound benefits not just in theoretical capacity but demonstrated through practical applications. An extensive scoping review of the use of Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) in healthcare facilities reveals their critical role in enhancing the operational efficiency, improving patient care, and managing hospital resources with greater precision [1; 2]. For front-line healthcare providers, including nurses and medical personnel, the ability to locate accurately and in real time not only themselves but also patients, medical equipment, and other essential resources translates into improved response times, a reduced workload, and a more streamlined healthcare delivery process [3]. The necessity for such localization systems in hospital environments is based on several compelling reasons. Firstly, the high-stakes nature of healthcare requires swift decision making and responses, particularly in emergencies. The ability to identify the exact location of life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators or ventilators, can significantly reduce the time to intervention [4]. Similarly, tracking the movement of patients, especially those vulnerable or with cognitive impairments, improves patient safety and prevents wandering or elopment incidents [5]. Moreover, the optimization of asset utilization through real-time tracking minimizes wasted resources and ensures that resources are readily available when needed, thereby reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency [6]. Several applications within hospital settings highlight the versatility and benefits of localization systems. These include, but are not limited to:  
* **Medical devices tracking:** monitoring the location and status of medical equipment, such as portable imaging machines and defibrillators, to prevent loss and ensure availability [2; 7]. * **Patient monitoring:** Offers real-time tracking of patient locations within the hospital [8; 9; 10]. This feature is especially critical in psychiatric units or for patients with conditions like Alzheimer's disease, where patient safety and the prevention of wandering are of paramount importance. * **Staff coordination:** By providing real-time data on the locations of medical staff, hospitals can enhance their operational efficiency [11; 12]. This allows for a quick assembly of teams in emergency situations and the better allocation of staff resources across the facility, directly impacting response times and patient care quality. * **Navigation assistance:** Helps in guiding patients and visitors through the complexities of hospital layouts [13]. The gains from these applications are multiple, extending the benefits to a wide spectrum of end users, including medical personnel, patients, and hospital administrators. Among these benefits are an improved operational efficiency, which streamlines healthcare delivery; improved patient care, ensuring timely and appropriate interventions; increased safety, safeguarding patients and staff alike; and a significant reduction in asset loss and mismanagement, optimizing the use of valuable hospital resources. These tangible benefits collectively contribute to a more effective, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare ecosystem. Given the significant advantages, the argument for integrating localization systems in hospital environments is compelling.