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Mobility Technology in Healthcare: A New Era of Patient Care

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In recent years, mobility technology has rapidly and radically transformed healthcare, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance health outcomes, streamline operations and offer a better patient experience. This has been led by the adoption of several pillars including:

  • Wearable health devices
  • Telemedicine platforms
  • Mobile health apps

These technologies play a vital role in transforming the healthcare landscape, making healthcare more accessible, personalized, and efficient. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the global healthcare mobility solutions market is projected to grow from USD 135.43 billion in 2024 to USD 335.93 billion by 2029, highlighting the increasing importance and integration of mobility technologies in health systems.

Streamlining Operations: Solving Efficiency Challenges in Healthcare with Mobility Technology

The introduction of mobility technology in healthcare has revolutionized traditional practices, addressing long-standing inefficiencies. Comprehensive federal data indicates that almost all acute-care hospitals and a vast majority of office-based physicians have implemented electronic health record (EHR) systems. These systems form the backbone of healthcare mobility, offering several key advantages:

  • Enhanced Data Management: Digital health records streamline the accessibility and sharing of patient information among healthcare professionals, drastically reducing the time previously spent on manual data entry and record keeping.
  • Automation of Routine Tasks: This technology minimizes the administrative burden on healthcare staff by automating tasks, which frees up time for patient care and significantly reduces the potential for human error.
  • Improved Communication: Mobility solutions foster enhanced communication across various departments, facilitating a more coordinated care approach and preventing delays that can affect patient outcomes.

 

Addressing Immediate Health Monitoring Needs with Tablets, Phones and Wearable Devices

The addition of tablets, phones and wearable devices are leading the charge in mobility technology. Dr. John D. Halamka, Chief Information Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has highlighted the transformative impact of digital tools, stating that “digital healthcare is more than just digitizing existing workflows; it’s about redefining healthcare delivery.” These devices provide numerous benefits:

  • Real-Time Health Monitoring: These devices allow continuous monitoring of patients’ vital signs, enabling healthcare providers to react swiftly to any emergent conditions.
  • Remote Patient Monitoring: Vital data is transmitted in real-time to healthcare teams, allowing for proactive management of patient health, particularly for chronic conditions, and facilitating early intervention.
  • Empowerment Through Technology: By equipping patients with health monitoring devices, they can actively participate in their health management, leading to better health outcomes.
  • Diverse Applications: The range of devices available—from electronic blood pressure monitors to sophisticated biometric monitors—creates suitable options for various patient needs, integrating technology into everyday healthcare practice.

Telemedicine Platforms: Transforming Patient-Provider Connections

Telemedicine platforms have revolutionized how medical care is delivered, especially benefiting those in remote or underserved areas. Over 80 percent of physicians now incorporate smartphones and telemedicine in their practice, providing:

  • Efficient Resource Use: These platforms help optimize healthcare resources, reducing the need for physical office space and minimizing travel requirements for patients and providers.
  • Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: The convenience, timeliness, and accessibility of care offered through telemedicine improve overall patient satisfaction and engagement.

Mobile Health Apps: Customized Care at Your Fingertips

Mobile health apps are tailor-made to enhance the patient-centered nature of mobility technology in healthcare, providing:

  • Customized Care Solutions: Apps offer specific functionalities, such as medication reminders, mental health support, and personalized wellness tracking, adapting to each user’s unique health needs.
  • Empowerment and Accessibility: These apps empower patients with knowledge and tools right at their fingertips, fostering an environment where they can actively manage and improve their health.

These apps not only empower patients with valuable health insights but also improve accessibility, making health management more direct and personalized.

 

Mobility Technology in Healthcare: A Strategic Imperative

Mobility technology represents a paradigm shift in healthcare, redefining standards of patient care and operational excellence. Integrating mobility technology is essential for healthcare providers looking to meet the expectations and demands of modern patients. Key components like tablets, phones, wearable devices, telemedicine, and mobile health apps herald a future of healthcare that is more accessible, personalized, and efficient. Partnering with a full-service mobility solution provider is recognized as the best practice for adapting to this transformative trend.

The Compelling Case for Mobility Technology in Healthcare

By embracing mobility technology, healthcare providers can significantly enhance the efficiency of their operations and the quality of care they provide, making healthcare more accessible and tailored to individual needs. This integration improves patient outcomes and drives the healthcare industry forward into a more efficient, effective, and patient-centered future.

 

 

 

About the Author:

Tony Fernandez is the CEO and President of MTech Mobility, a global leader in providing comprehensive lifecycle and repair services for devices a global full-service mobility and technology solutions provider, which he founded in 2012. He is responsible for developing the vision and strategy for the company’s service offerings, as well as for its customer- and partner-focused approach. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Tony has spearheaded IT managed services and operations for numerous industries (including retail, hospitality, travel, healthcare, and entertainment), providing leadership roles at Amadeus, a major Spanish IT provider for the global travel and tourism industry, as well as NCR Corporation, a leading software- and services-led enterprise provider.

 

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Patient Assessments in Healthcare: Why They Matter and How to Integrate Them into EHRs

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Patient assessments are a vital part of providing quality healthcare to patients. They are the process of gathering, sorting, and analyzing a patient’s health information using evidence-informed tools to learn more about their overall health, symptoms, and concerns.  

Patient assessments can help healthcare providers and related organizations to: 

  • Determine the most appropriate healthcare for their patients. 
  • Identify groups of patients at risk for harmful exposures or health problems. 
  • Recognize patients who benefit from specific interventions to reduce the risk of injury or illness or improve health. 
  • Identify opportunities for illness and injury prevention and health promotion. 

Patient assessments can vary in length and range and may be asked of patients of all ages. Some may be completed during an office visit or between office visits, on paper or a computer. They can include questions about a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, laboratory and test results, and more. 

Assessments are being used in various types of health systems for different patient population groups. 

 

  • The University of Michigan Health System implemented a patient assessment tool to identify patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers. The tool helps healthcare providers identify patients who need additional support and interventions to prevent pressure ulcers. As a result, the health system saw a significant reduction in the number of pressure ulcers among patients. 
  • The Veterans Health Administration implemented a patient assessment tool to identify patients  at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The tool assists healthcare providers in identifying patients who need additional support and interventions to manage their COPD. As a result, the health system saw a significant reduction in hospitalizations and emergency department visits among patients with COPD2. 
  • The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center implemented a patient assessment tool to identify patients  at risk of developing delirium. The tool helps healthcare providers identify patients who need additional support and interventions to prevent delirium. As a result, the health system saw a significant reduction in the incidence of delirium among patients3. 

 

A More Efficient Approach to Pediatric Assessments 

While many organizations use an electronic signature process at registration, clinical assessments are typically approached with pen and paper. After obtaining a CD with 450 English and Spanish pediatric assessment forms, Skagit Regional Health quickly realized they needed a practical way to distribute them. Requiring a more efficient and effective approach, Skagit modernized its approach to pediatric assessments.

Instead of printing the form and hoping it would eventually find its way into the EHR, the original was scanned and saved as a TIFF. Next, it was imported into Interlace Health Form Designer as a page-size image and published. With minimal effort, the header and barcodes were assigned, resulting in identifying features for scanning.  

With a few simple clicks, clinicians print the forms on demand as needed with Interlace Health. Additionally, all the necessary identifying information for batch scanning into the EHR is automatically populated on each form, minimizing human error. The electronic workflow allows for a centralized approach to document management while standardizing the forms and allowing for greater ease in version control.  

Using the Interlace Health tools to build or manage assessments is incredibly advantageous from both a time and financial perspective.  

If we had tried to build these inside of our Epic EHR, the time and cost would have been incredibly higher than the work we did with Interlace Health,” shared Alan Duke, Document Management Administrator from Skagit Regional Health. 

Given the value to patient care by capturing information through assessments, digitizing the process to eliminate errors, standardizing workflows, and ensuring proper indexing into the EHR is vital. Working with Interlace Health, you can create new assessments or convert existing paper assessments into EHR-compatible tools.

For more information on how to create assessments or other form-based workflows at your health system, contact us.  

 

 

About the Author:

Patricia Clarkson is the Director of Customer Success Management at Interlace Health. With over 20 years of technology experience as a customer advocate, she has a propensity for building long-term relationships. Her team regularly interacts with customers, guiding adoption and expansion while expediting their time-to-value. Patricia delights in increasing her customers’ success and thrives on helping them achieve their desired results with their Interlace Health solutions. With a 97.4% customer retention rate, there are loads of successful customers to celebrate! Connect with Patricia on LinkedIn.

 

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