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Like the administration and business management staff, doctors and nurses are asked to process a great deal of information. Indeed, healthcare delivery is almost as much about information exchange as it is actual care. Doctors can not function without patient records and easy-to-access medical information, including personal medical records, x-rays and other files, insurance forms and supporting documentation, billing info, on-line research and collaboration, prescription ordering, medical research, supply ordering, etc
However, their primary function is to deliver quality care to the patient and your organization's systems and solutions should enable them to serve the needs of the hospital and the patients efficiently and effectively. The more time they spend with documentation, the less they spend with the patient. According to a study in the US: 38% of physicians' and 50% of nurses' time is spent on documentation.
New tools and technologies are changing the way medical staff process and access information. One tool that is now used everywhere within healthcare delivery is the word wide web. Web resources are improving in terms of quality and quantity and, aside from the PC, there are a number of devices that now make it possible to access the Web from almost anywhere in the hospital. According to research, Web-based applications showing the greatest opportunity for growth are:
- Remote Access to Electronic Health Records
- Computerized Physician Order Entry
- Patient Appointments and/or Admissions
- Post-visit Patient Education
- Pre-visit Health Screenings, Evaluations, or Assessments
Wireless based tools and applications are also being deployed more than ever within healthcare delivery - improving care by making it more immediate and accurate. For example: illegible handwriting leads to a number of transcription errors that can have serious consequences. The solution could be a wireless medical tablet in which the doctor/nurse inputs electronic information that is sent immediately to the appropriate destination. No handwriting. No paperwork.
Of course, mobile solutions require a robust wireless infrastructure - 3Com delivers this, and more. 3Com provides the infrastructure required to deploy a robust and highly secure wireless network - among our unique wireless solutions:
- Patented XJACK® antenna with smart switch extends for excellent Wireless LAN performance
- Access Point 6000 and Access Point 8000 draw power over a standard 10BASE-T Ethernet connection - eliminating the need to run AC conduit power circuits.
- Four antenna options let you extend wireless connections up to 305 meters (1,000 feet) on the Access Point 8000.