While cast members from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, the X Prize Foundation and Qualcomm announced a $10 million Tricorder X Prize, expected to be awarded in mid-2016. Even if you’re not a Sci-Fi fan who knows what a medical tricorder is, using a hand-held instrument to scan and instantly diagnose patients is a mainstream idea close to becoming a reality.
Beyond even the capabilities of a Star Trek communicator, smartphones have revolutionized the way people interact with each other and consume everything from news to entertainment. Physicians are using the small mobile devices to receive alerts about patients, connect with other providers for consultations, even review test results. But we don’t have to wait until 2016 and the announcement of an X Prize winner to experience hand-held, mobile diagnostics. Smartphones are already poised to enter the physical healthcare space and launch themselves from communication devices and reference manuals into the orbit of diagnostic tools.
Need to check your blood pressure, glucose levels, or monitor your heart rhythm? With attachments, a specialized case, or even just an app with a complex algorithm, smartphones are becoming another tool in a provider’s bag of tricks. Smartphone devices and applications are also being developed that determine eye prescriptions, take images of a child’s inner ear for remote diagnosis of ear infections, and act as a microscope to analyze fluid samples for diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
What’s the new frontier for mobile communication devices, and where will they go next?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Getting a Jump on 2013 Compliance
We’ve all played phone tag – arranging lunch with a friend, scheduling a dentist appointment, maybe organizing a surprise birthday party. Leaving successive messages for each other can be funny or mildly annoying in our personal lives, but if I were a patient in a hospital’s emergency department, I certainly wouldn’t want phone tag about my test results to delay my treatment.
For the eleventh consecutive year, the Joint Commission’s #2 National Patient Safety Goal centers around communications. For the past five years, the goal has specifically included “report critical results of tests and diagnostic procedures on a timely basis.” It sounds simple, yet many institutions struggle with communications between the Lab and the ED, Radiology, ordering physicians….it can get pretty complicated to deliver results to the right person quickly.
Aunt Minnie recently posted a solution story on their site about EMH Healthcare in Elyria, Ohio. EMH Healthcare is using our Critical Test Results Management (CTRM) solution to improve the workflow for both radiologists and ER physicians and provide a more efficient communication process.
"We were manually communicating our critical test results," said Michelle Dossa, Manager, Department of Imaging Services, EMH Healthcare. "Now, the ER doctors immediately see an alert on the EMR dashboard. We have also eliminated the need for radiology nurses to track reports and dictations, maintain a document log, and make calls to notify ER physicians," said Dossa.
What a great way to start the New Year, with a goal for 2013 already checked off!
For the eleventh consecutive year, the Joint Commission’s #2 National Patient Safety Goal centers around communications. For the past five years, the goal has specifically included “report critical results of tests and diagnostic procedures on a timely basis.” It sounds simple, yet many institutions struggle with communications between the Lab and the ED, Radiology, ordering physicians….it can get pretty complicated to deliver results to the right person quickly.
Aunt Minnie recently posted a solution story on their site about EMH Healthcare in Elyria, Ohio. EMH Healthcare is using our Critical Test Results Management (CTRM) solution to improve the workflow for both radiologists and ER physicians and provide a more efficient communication process.
"We were manually communicating our critical test results," said Michelle Dossa, Manager, Department of Imaging Services, EMH Healthcare. "Now, the ER doctors immediately see an alert on the EMR dashboard. We have also eliminated the need for radiology nurses to track reports and dictations, maintain a document log, and make calls to notify ER physicians," said Dossa.
What a great way to start the New Year, with a goal for 2013 already checked off!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
How Do I Get to the App Store?
A friend of mine is a photographer and he works with Photoshop nearly every day. Like many people, he’s very savvy with the functions he uses all the time. Tackling out-of-the-ordinary requests, however (Can you remove the maid of honor’s now ex-boyfriend from the photo?), requires a bit of a learning curve.
I’ve heard from several organizations that one of their biggest challenges to rolling out encrypted smartphone texting at their facility is device support. Users know some of their phone functions very well, but they aren’t familiar with other features. Even in a bring-your-own-device scenario, one of the common questions is (believe it or not): How do I get to the app store? If you’ve also wondered this, you are in good company with nurses, administrators, environmental services staff, and yes, physicians, too.
On the desktop of your phone you will see one of the following icons (listed alphabetically). They represent the applications store for that device. Getting the process rolling only requires the tip of your finger – touch the icon on your phone and enter. Search features allow you to find applications by name or by function, just like browsing the Internet, and then you can touch them for more information or to download. Happy shopping!
Android’s Play Store
Apple Mac App Store
BlackBerry App World
I’ve heard from several organizations that one of their biggest challenges to rolling out encrypted smartphone texting at their facility is device support. Users know some of their phone functions very well, but they aren’t familiar with other features. Even in a bring-your-own-device scenario, one of the common questions is (believe it or not): How do I get to the app store? If you’ve also wondered this, you are in good company with nurses, administrators, environmental services staff, and yes, physicians, too.
On the desktop of your phone you will see one of the following icons (listed alphabetically). They represent the applications store for that device. Getting the process rolling only requires the tip of your finger – touch the icon on your phone and enter. Search features allow you to find applications by name or by function, just like browsing the Internet, and then you can touch them for more information or to download. Happy shopping!
Android’s Play Store
Apple Mac App Store
BlackBerry App World
P.S. To find our
secure texting app, search for ‘Amcom’ and you will find us:
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