Information technology has made patient care safer and more reliable than ever before. Nurses and doctors can now use hand-held computers to record a patient's medical history and check that they are administering the correct treatment. Results of lab tests, records of vital signs, and medicine orders are all electronically put into a main database that can be referred to later. And as more institutions are adopting electronic health records, patients now have easier access to their own information so they too can understand what is being done to them. This has lessened some of the anxiety that is typical of many patients in a situation where they lack knowledge or background information related to their diagnosis, illness or treatment
Wireless technology is modifying healthcare and continues to be a source of innovation in defining the speed and availability of information in the medical field. Information on demand is invaluable when time is the most critical factor of patient care. Indeed, their are many advantages:
Wireless technology can have a positive impact on costs as there is no additional cables or wiring systems required for existing buildings and structures, as wireless media is essentially free.
Increased efficiency is possible in large hospitals via wireless solutions for data collection and relaying information as well as patient monitoring.
Important information is more readily and widely available for example: a paramedic enroute to the hospital can relay patient information to the appropriate department, reducing wait time and treatment.
Healthcare professionals can automate many functions and shift their practice into other areas of increased complexity, caring and responsibility all of which have a cumulative effect of positively impacting the nature of their work.
Mobility and portable technologies enable employee flexibility and potential cost savings for the employer.
Wireless technologies also promote self-care and shared care which ultimately reduces demands on the health care system. Not only do sophisticated medical practices help patients heal directly; new technology has also improved research so experts can make healthcare even more effective.
Computational Sensor Monitoring allows for monitoring the functional patterns of a patient or care recipient and informs the worker wirelessly when dysfunctional patterns occur.
PDA's (smart phones, etc) can be used to store health data, email and other basic computer functions. Connectivity is enabled wirelessly by a server that uses cellular networks to connect to a central server.
GPS, or global positioning systems, are routinely used by the World Health Organization (WHO) for mapping and tracking infectious diseases at a community level.
RFID, radio frequency identification tags, can be used to store patient demographic and biometric data. They are capable of transmitting the information they store wirelessly.
Bluetooth technology can connect health related devices in the home (weight scales, blood pressure monitors) and allow the information they report to be sent to doctors or specialists anywhere in the world.
Wireless scanners using barcode scanning technology can be used to monitor the bedside administration of medications. The main benefit of using this system is to ensure patient safety and reduce administration error. If any of the information does not match the doctors orders, a warning message is provided to the clinician.
The core mission of hospitals is to deliver care, and what could be more central to that than the devices that generate diagnostic data, monitor patient's conditions, and deliver therapy? Breakthroughs in information gathering and communications have given medical providers new tools to work with and fresh ways to practice medicine. As wireless technology continues to evolve, it will become further entwined and integrated with healthcare, the possibility of information being available anytime, anywhere and from any device, greatly increases the mobility and ability of a doctor, and in turn, greatly increases the ability to save lives.
Implementing iSirona is faster and easier than any other solution on the market. There are no boxes on the wall, no hardware costs and no tangle of cables to connect. It's software and it works regardless of department, device type or your current environment. For more information about medical device connectivity, visit us online today!
Orignal From: Wireless Healthcare
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