Mobile Healthcare: Beyond Devices

When one mentions "mobile healthcare," most people tend to think of the mobile computers, tablets, and smartphones that enable clinicians to access and record information on the move and at the point of care. While these devices have been and will continue to be instrumental in the mobilization of care, it's important to remember that several new innovations will ultimately take this concept to the next level. In fact, this is a topic that Paul Moore, senior director & chief product architect at Fujitsu, explores in a recent podcast recorded at the Intel Healthcare Innovation Summit. According to Moore, innovation in Health IT is moving beyond devices and is now trending toward efficiently and effectively sharing information among clinicians and with patients. The following are three innovations that Moore believes will make a significant impact on mobile healthcare going forward:

e-Prescribing: A key way to cut healthcare costs is to eliminate the medical errors that often extend the length of hospital stays. Written prescriptions have a history of being wrought with error and misinterpretation. In fact, Moore states that 80% of written prescriptions require a call-back for verification, which increases the turn-around time and potential for error. e-Prescribing, on the other hand, provides an added layer of accuracy and security. Since the transmission is electronic, pharmacists no longer have to struggle to read a physician's handwriting. Moreover, decision support tools are built into the software that warn the physician to potential adverse drug affects based on prescription interactions or dosages. Finally, mobile e-prescribing applications allow physicians to submit a prescription from anywhere at any time, just as if they were using a prescription pad.

Patient Portals: Patient portals allow patients to view their electronic health records, schedule appointments, view their lab results, and interact with insurers, all from a secure online connection. These portals provide patients with the ability to play an active role in the coordination of their care from home or while on the go.

Virtual Visits: Primarily achieved through video/web conferencing, remote monitoring, and other telehealth technologies, virtual visits focus on bringing medical care to the patient as opposed to bringing the patient to the medical care facility. This concept will not only allow physicians to see more patients, but will also allow them to monitor patient conditions in real time — warning them of patient danger signs and allowing them to potentially avoid hospital admissions.

While all of the previous innovations can contribute to better patient care, faster recovery, fewer medical errors, and lower healthcare costs, Moore is quick to note that these technology applications aren't without their challenges. Primarily, Moore believes that industry standards are desperately needed for these innovations to have a universal impact on the healthcare industry.

You can learn more on this and other health IT topics by registering for the Intel Healthcare Innovation Summit, Oct. 4-6. This Summit is not a destination event, but instead consists of three hour-long webcasts spanning three days. The Summit is a convenient way for you to learn the latest on a variety of health IT topics from speakers such as Todd Park, chief technology officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Bill Bria, CMIO for Shriners Hospitals for Children; Mark Lange, secretary general of the European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL); John Mattison, MD, CMIO of Kaiser Permanente; and Liz Johnson, VP of Applied Clinical Informatics at Tenet Healthcare. You can choose to attend one, two, or all three webcasts by registering here.

SOURCE: Health IT Outcomes