 Healthcare entities routinely cite data security, workflow efficiency, mobility and information access as key priorities. While back-end infrastructure enhancements are generally required to address these needs, so too are front-end devices that capture patient, hospital and research data for analysis, collaboration, storage and follow-up.
“A great number of healthcare organizations have had robust, integrated infrastructure systems for some time,” says Claudia McGurk, Healthcare Industry Marketing Manager for HP’s Personal Systems Group, “but many still populate those systems using handwritten notes and manual data entry.” What’s needed, McGurk suggests, are point-of-care solutions that are tuned to the needs of the healthcare industry and maximize the effectiveness of back-end infrastructure systems.
David Carleton (pictured, left) agrees. “The healthcare industry needs a do-over,” says the Vice-President and Chief Information Officer of Heritage Valley Health System. “We need the ability to access and capture the right information at the right place at the right time.”
Improving insight
Based in suburban Pennsylvania, Heritage Valley has roughly 4,300 employees and more than 400 physicians who support two hospitals and a host of outlying clinics and physician offices.
“Doctors are my customers, and it is my job to enable them,” Carleton explains. “To do so, we need to give them the ability to capture and retrieve rich data at the point of care, whether it is in an office, ambulatory or acute care setting.”
Working closely with HP, Heritage Valley deployed an HP iPAQ Pocket PC-based solution, giving physicians and other healthcare professionals access to real-time patient databases, census data, physician schedules, patient updates and test results. More than 200 Heritage Valley physicians are using the iPAQs, nearly half of whom are using the devices to electronically order prescriptions for their patients.
“Whether our doctors are at the office, in the emergency room or at home, they can review three years of clinical and transactional information, health notices, lab results, radiology and pathology reports, upcoming appointments and the current state of the acute care setting,” says Carleton. “As a result, the physicians and hospital staff are much more efficient with their time, which has led to improved productivity and patient care.”
Tight integration
The iPAQ-based solution integrates tightly with Heritage Valley’s desktop and infrastructure systems, with data flowing seamlessly and securely among them. This integration has resulted in a symbiotic relationship between Heritage Valley’s front-end and back-end systems, spawning additional functionality. For example, physicians can use their iPAQs for dictation, which is sent wirelessly to back-end servers that feature automated voice recognition, transcription and Web posting capabilities.
“The HP handheld devices are fully integrated with our server systems and give us a tremendous amount of functionality,” notes Carleton, “but some of their greatest features are the most basic. They offer an outstanding battery life, a clean WiFi connection and rock solid reliability. These may seem mundane, but they are very important and few devices on the market can deliver.”
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