November 2016 – Page 2 – Rugged Tech Talk

Five Reasons All Doctors Need Advanced Mobile Capability

Mobile tech use in the healthcare vertical has exploded over the past five years. According to a March, 2015 study by Kantar Media, 84% of US physicians polled use smartphones for professional purposes, and 56% use tablets.

Diagnostic tools, clinical reference apps, drug and coding references, and productivity and organizational tools were the top types of usage for smartphone carriers, while those who used tablets concentrated more on readable content and patient side care, with medical journal and electronic medical record apps as well as diagnostic tools and patient education tools.

Tablet use has been expanding among doctors, with the larger screens and ability to share screen views more readily with patients and other professionals leading to better versatility that outweighs the bulkier format. While institutions that provide mobile devices were more likely to hand out smartphones, the ones that opted for tablet deployment saw faster implementation of the devices in day-to-day use.

Patients also appreciate tablet use by their healthcare professionals; again, the ability to input, retrieve, share, and store information in real time is attractive to patients who seek to feel involved in their own care, and the tablet provides an easy way for doctors to loop patients in on the data files being created for them. Apps can be recommended and shared with patients who require monitoring, whether they are image based meal logs for diabetics, logs for exercise, heart rate and blood pressure evaluators, or sleep disorders tracking for which now experts also recommend new technological gadgets as this anti snoring devices.

The apps available for healthcare are in the tens of thousands. According to research by MedData Group in January, 2015, the leading apps allow access to specialty specific and clinical content; medical education articles; and pharma information, specifically contraindications and drug interaction information. Having quick access and the ability to double check data while patient-side increases trust and leads to better outcomes.

Only 20% of doctors as of that study reported not reading medical content on mobile devices, and polling from just one year prior showed nearly 40% of doctors were committed to making their practice mobile friendly for both staff and patients, citing the benefits of understanding the needs of a mobile generation, and the ability to enhance patient compliance via app use and data capture long term.

Overall, tablets can be expected to continue to advance on smartphones in the medical field, especially in the arena of patient interaction. From access to EHRs to app development for patient care, there are more benefits on the horizon for medical adaptation and patient implementation.

How Medical Cart Computers Inspire Patient Trust

How Medical Cart Computers Inspire Patient Trust

As an ever-expanding industry, healthcare is becoming more competitive and depending more on digital assistance to enhance record accuracy and better serve patients. Medical Cart Computers are the new standard of care, allowing doctors to deliver premium patient-side experiences and improve patient / doctor relationships by inspiring trust.

Patients need to know that their information is accurate and safe. When one of the top causes of improper patient care is incorrect data, being able to show patients that their information is being captured instantly and accurately can instill the first layer of trust required.

In order to perform tasks like instant data capture and shared doctor / patient discussion, patient-side technology is required. Medical Cart Computers provide a tool that allows doctors to better relate with patients; instead of the clipboard or a stationary computer system, patient data can be clearly entered and verified with the patient no matter what location in the building or campus, providing a level of assurance that data entry at a central terminal cant match.

As electronic health records (EHRs) continue to gain traction, access to vital data and the ability to review charts, files, and images at any location is crucial. Enhanced patient care can be assured by use of Medical Cart Computers synced with a centralized system, so the patient’s file can follow them throughout a medical facility.

Patients who are able to see data being entered and updated, and who are allowed the visual interaction that a Medical Cart Computer provides are more likely to trust the process and feel more secure that their data is correct. Explaining issues and procedures is also easier with a Medical Cart Computer available to provide a visual aid when needed.

Patient trust grows as the transparent workflow and improved healthcare quality make a distinct impact on their experiences in clinics, hospitals, doctors offices, and specialist encounters. Using Medical Cart Computers is one way to enhance and strengthen doctor patient bonds and improve outcomes.

The advantages of modern Medical Cart Computers include enhanced portability, compatibility with other healthcare tech, features like hot swappable batteries to ensure continual availability, and patient confidentiality via security and privacy software that restricts access based on authentication of each user.

Using Medical Cart Computers can solve multiple problems, improve productivity, and lead to better patient care and relations. Utilizing new technology builds trusting relationships and instills confidence for future interactions.

Medical Automation: Tech Meets the Healthcare Industry

Hospitals are ecosystems. The flow of information is lifeblood, and the devices that capture, display, store, analyze and transmit the data are the organs. Using the best possible devices in healthcare settings means that data is properly handled, utilized, and shared, providing better outcomes for patients and streamlined workflow processes for personnel.

Improved Workflows

The workflow starts with the patient. The data they provide is crucial to proper treatment. This data must be captured as swiftly, completely, and accurately as possible. Having medical cart computers ensures information can be entered and checked with the patient in real time, while ascertaining vital data such as medical history and drug interactions.

While patient-provided data isnt always accurate, it often contains the key to proper diagnosis and treatment and can help avoid errors leading to patient endangerment form allergic reactions, drug interactions, and more. Patient side computing also allows for authorized personnel and family members to share in completing histories and other key data acquisition, enhancing rapid and appropriate care via approved treatment plans.

Digital Strategy

Digital strategies allow doctors to streamline and reengineer the process to create visual, automated services that can be shared with patients and other doctors for a clear picture and better comprehension, building patient trust for their medical professionals.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are a perfect example, already being implemented across the country to track patient health data and support medical decisions. Digital medical imaging systems sync with records systems making it easy to compare images and update files, share information, and transfer records.
Mobile health (mHealth) initiatives are also on the rise, enabling physicians and patients to use mobile devices to improve care.
Telemedicine is another byproduct of digital health care, providing broader access regardless of location, leading to improved care in rural areas.
Real-time location systems (RTLS) can locate equipment, patients and staff.

Process Duplication

Another aspect of medical automation is how it can reduce process duplication and the errors that can arise due to this issue. Standardizing procedures, breaking them down into individual components, digitizing data, connecting various types of records, and analyzing data leads to complete integration of disparate elements.

Advanced Technology

Better tech means better outcomes. Mobile, cloud and new communication technologies working together to capture data from EHRs, wearables, clinical information systems, mobile devices and more can streamline workflows and enable providers to spend more time with patients and less time on non-patient side care.

Going Rugged – Cost vs Value vs Obsolescence

One of the top issues with hardware and software is obsolescence. This major problem affects any company at any level, whether they are using PCs, smartphones, laptops, or tablets.

A device that can outlast more than a few years of upgrades and advances can cut down on CAPEX and induce considerable savings since the need to constantly replace devices is removed. This is particularly helpful for industries in which large scale deployment of devices is standard, such as in the industrial, healthcare, government, and military verticals.

Next to the actual physical cost, productivity suffers when compatibility becomes an issue. The TCO is based not just on the dollars spent over a five or ten-year span, but on losses incurred at the productivity level, since time is money.

Cost is one thing, value another. Commercial products off the shelf, as in consumer grade tablets, can be attractive at first glance thanks to their low price tag. However, if they become obsolete or crippled in less than two years, a rugged tablet that can last for five or more is a much better deal when it comes to ROI.

Using a product that will have support in the coming years, is upgraded dependent on your time schedule and parameters, and which also is provided with a durability to resist physical damage is a sensible way to look at device deployment.

Consumer grade tablets can crack, overheat, experience trouble with dust, experience static shocks, and more. A rugged tablet is designed to prevent or resist damage, and will last longer even in the harshest environments including many a consumer grade tablet would never work in at all.

Custom solutions are forward thinking with the focus split on the here and now and the future. Not only does the device need to have backward compatibility, it needs to survive the forward movement of technology. Rugged tablet designers can anticipate needs and create unique builds that often foreshadow the next wave of technology.

The military and government sectors are often the hardest hit by failure to maintain support for older consumer systems because they are not a prime market. Finding vendors who can design, maintain, support, and enhance key functionality will result in devices that are smarter, more secure, better equipped, and easier to use while delivering years of usefulness.

Selecting customized, rugged tablets opens up new doors for mobility, while saving money in the years to come as the need to replace devices is sharply decreased. Custom rugged tablets are the smart choice for those with a need for long term ROI.