smart devices in healthcare

Smart Handsets/Devices

&

Critical Messaging, EHR Solutions, Medication Management, Facilities Management, Patient Monitoring, Personal Safety,

Nurse Call, Infection Control, Secure Messaging

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White Paper

CARE HOMES | MEDICAL CENTRES | HOSPITALS | CLINICS | SURGERIES

Mobile technologies are the key to leveraging benefits from healthcare solutions. Kaveh Safavi global MD of Accenture

Health, has commented,

“To be effective, EHR (electronic health record) platforms must leverage newer technologies, such as analytics

and mobility, to adapt to the changing needs of patient populations and better connect physicians and patients.”

However, it is not only EHR platforms that rely on mobile technologies. Solutions ranging from nurse call systems, to

medication management, to building management, all make use of mobile devices.

HEALTHCARE NEEDS: Medical and care staff want to send text messages and use email. Others want a device that

can handle medical charts from EMR/EHR systems, deliver patient data at the bedside, or provide alerts from patient

monitoring systems. Support staff need a device which will provide warnings of medical and facilities system failures and

allow them to manage the facilities whilst on the move.

CHOICE OF DEVICE: The type of mobile device chosen to work with your healthcare solutions is important if you want

to maximise the benefits that are leveraged from the solutions, give medical staff and care workers a device that delivers

what they want, and ensure that it meets the investment and depreciation targets required by the healthcare provider

- whether that be a medical centre, hospital, clinic, care-home or surgery.

OPTIONS AND SOLUTIONS: This white paper explores

how mobile devices are used to unlock benefits in

healthcare solutions and how they can help deliver better

patient care, higher productivity and increased patient

satisfaction. It looks at the type of devices available,

and which are suited to use in healthcare environments

and which fall short. It suggests that consumer grade

smartphones and BYOD policies, often used to support

healthcare solutions, are not always a good choice when

compared with the advantages of healthcare optimised

devices such as the PIVOT solution from Spectralink.

Mobile devices (tablets, Wi-Fi handsets, smartphones, PDA’s) deliver many benefits in healthcare. Staff use

them to communicate with one another, to access clinical materials and tools, and to facilitate patient care.

Overview


Paging has been the stalwart communication choice in the healthcare sector especially in hospitals. Now,

critical messages can be sent to pagers, tablets, smartphones, PDAs, wireless and smart handset devices.

Critical messaging


LARGE RESPONSE TEAMS: You no longer need to carry a pager to be a member of the response team. Because

messaging solutions from leading suppliers Multitone, Bluesky Wireless and Fusion support a range of mobile devices

staff with smart devices, tablets, and PDA’s can be added to the team.

ROLE APPROPRIATE: Because messages and alerts can be sent to many different types of mobile device staff can use

a device that suits their role. Medical and care staff who roam around the premises and need access to applications and

data traditionally accessed by a PC will benefit from carrying a smart device rather than a pager. Desk based staff can

have a standard desk phone, or a wireless (DECT or WiFi) handset if mobile occasionally throughout the day.

EXTENDED FUNCTIONALITY: Smart devices, and on-premises wireless handset devices, used in place of pagers can

also deliver the messages and alerts generated from:

Integration with nurse call systems.

Monitoring medical equipment.

Fire and security alarm integration.

Location tracking: locate assets or colleagues within a building.

Task management: assign tasks to staff with replies of acknowledgement or decline.

SMART DEVICES: Consumer grade devices are

sometimes used but are seldom satisfactory or represent

a good long-term investment for the healthcare provider.

More appropriate are dedicated on-premises devices

such as the PIVOT from Spectralink. PIVOT handsets are

recommended by leading messaging providers Multitone

and BlueSky Wireless. With an extended battery life, easy

cleaning, and resistance to disinfectants - something that

consumer smartphones cannot emulate - they are ideal for

the healthcare sector.

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In 2014, UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt stated that the National Health System is projected to become

completely dependent on EHR within the next 5 years.

EHR Solutions


There are many issues, clinical, social and political, to resolve before this becomes a reality. However, one that is often

overlooked is the need for dependable, high-performance smart mobile devices.

INFORMATION AT POINT-OF-CARE: EHRs, e-prescriptions and clinical workflows help healthcare professionals to

deliver the best possible care. Smart mobile devices are essential to leverage the benefits from these systems. They

revolutionise the way data is entered, captured, and retrieved at the point-of-care. They provide physicians, pharmacists

and nurses with up-to-date patient information at their fingertips, and can help reduce errors. Equally important, they

make it easy for clinicians to review patient records, lab results, and prescription drug information.

MAKING IT ALL WORK: Many healthcare providers use consumer smart devices (smartphones, tablets and PDAs)

and BYOD policies to leverage the benefits from their EHR solution. These devices are not designed for the needs of

the healthcare sector. They are insufficiently robust for the workplace, do not have the working life needed to cost justify

deployment at all staff levels and, by their very nature, can be used for non-healthcare purposes.

HEALTHCARE SPECIFIC DEVICES: Recognising that

EHR vendors and healthcare users needed a reliable

device to use in their jobs some manufacturers have

developed healthcare specific mobile devices.

One such device is the PIVOT solution from Spectralink,

Capable of integrating with third party healthcare solutions

the PIVOT solution offers smart-phone like usability and

design but is uniquely engineered with unrivalled durability,

longevity, and the support needed to leverage the mobile

benefits from EHR solutions.


In its report “Managing and administering medication in care homes for older people” the Centre for Policy on

Aging (CPA) has suggested that a resident receiving medication three times a day would be certain (99.9%

chance) of receiving at least one medication administration error every month.

Medication Management

Electronic Medication Management (EMM) solutions can reduced medical errors and deliver better compliance, time

and cost savings, and drug safety. These solutions comprise electronic prescribing, dispensing, and medication

administration. Smart devices are most effective in the field of medication administration. They are pivotal in achieving

the benefits of EMM and helping medicine rounds become a simpler, quicker task, with reduced risk.

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION: The touch screens and Wi-Fi connectivity of smart devices mean staff can access the

medicine regimes of patients at the point the medicine is administered – the medicines they need and when they need

them can be confirmed at the bedside.

Barcode systems reduce errors further by confirming that the correct medicine is given to the correct patient at the right

time. The CPA reported that, in a hospital, a barcode system linked to electronic Medication Administration Records

(eMAR) eliminated transcription errors and, in a care home, avoided a large number of medication administration errors.

eMAR UPTAKE: Studies suggest that care home and medical staff are more willing to embrace medication

administration solutions if they are reliable, easy to use, and do not add to their workload – carrying multiple devices

does not fit with this requirement. Consumer smartphones or tablets are occasionally used to provision EMM solutions.

However, these lack an adequate barcode reader and the

care giver or nurse must still carry an additional device.

INTEGRATED DEVICES: The solution is, provision the

eMAR solution with smart devices which include a barcode

reader. Spectralink PIVOT is a healthcare focused device

which has the option to include an industry class bar-code

reader. PIVOT is designed and built for healthcare, is

capable of integrating with third party healthcare solutions,

and offers smart-phone like usability, but, unlike consumer

devices, is engineered for durability and longevity.


Healthcare presents unique challenges for facilities management. Healthcare facilities must comply with

security, hygiene standards, and fire code regulations. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that medical

facilities, property resources, and equipment is working and operating effectively.

Facilities management

Smart devices linked with the Building Management System (BMS), Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC),

and other property and process systems through a messaging solution help deliver a responsive and timely maintenance

regime.

MOBILITY: Facilities managers need to roam and still be able to monitor and control the facility and respond to

emergencies. Troubleshooting via smart devices can deliver advantages for productivity and operational improvements.

REAL-TIME TASK MANAGEMENT: This offers significant

benefits for healthcare. It enables facilities engineers

to be automatically contacted by the BMS, HVAC, or

network management system. Alternatively, managers

can manually send work tickets to the smart devices of

the facilities team. This is possible through linking smart

devices with facilities management systems.

EXTENDING CONTROL: BMS solutions are being

extended to include surveillance, access, perimeter,

irrigation, energy meters, IP telephones, UPS and

generator control applications. It is the smart device that

helps the facilities management team manage these.

SMART DEVICES: Consumer grade devices are

sometimes linked with facilities solutions but are seldom

satisfactory or represent a good long-term investment.

More appropriate are devices such as the PIVOT from

Spectralink. These handsets are recommended and

supported by healthcare messaging solutions providers

Multitone and BlueSky Wireless.

Smart devices and FM in healthcare

An FM issue is reported immediately through a smart

device, an available maintenance engineer is found

using location information from their smart device and

a work order sent to their device. Confirmation of work

completed is sent from the engineers smart device.


Linked with healthcare solutions such as EHR, medication management, and facilities management systems

and used for critical messaging, smart devices will permeate into every corner of a healthcare providers

business and will play a pivotal role in delivering care and productivity enhancements.

Smart devices for healthcare

It is important to choose a device that is appropriate for the task and the healthcare worker. Deploying an inappropriate

device, or relying on a BYOD policy to leverage the benefits from the various solutions used in healthcare, may

compromise the healthcare providers ability to achieve its clinical and management goals and could prove expensive.

The type of mobile device chosen to work with your healthcare solutions is important if you want to maximise the benefits

that are leveraged from the solutions, give medical staff and care workers a device which delivers what they want, and at

the same time ensure that it meets the investment and depreciation targets required by the healthcare provider - whether

that be a medical centre, hospital, clinic, care-home or surgery.

The choice is to use either a consumer grade smart device or a device optimised for healthcare.

10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR CHOOSING A SMART DEVICE: All smart devices offer a bewildering set of features for

the healthcare organisation to use. Many are not required in healthcare. When used in a healthcare setting, the features

most needed in a smart device are:

Passes the Drop Test standard.

Delivers smartphone/tablet device capability.

Supports critical messaging solutions.

Connects with healthcare data and internet.

Is able to scan and capture patient & medical data.

Provides high quality voice capability.

Has a useful life of 5 years or more.

Allows control over app download.

Connects with the telephone system.

Is capable of shift working.

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The MIL standard Drop Test

Find a hard floor.

Drop the device from a height of 4 feet - 1.2 metres.

Drop it on its 6 faces, 12 edges, & 8 corners - 26 drops.

After each drop:

Visually inspect for damage.

Check that it still works.

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b.

Consumer grade smartphones and tablets are sometimes used in healthcare. Provided by the organisation or permitted under a BYOD policy such devices are not ideal for healthcare and may be dysfunctional in regard to achieving the healthcare providers performance targets, and patient care.

Consumer smart devices

RESTRICTED ROLL OUT: A BYOD policy is unlikely to result in an effective roll out of a healthcare solution. The

benefits will be available only to those staff who invest in a personal device. The alternative of provisioning the solution

with consumer grade devices may be costly meaning that only a few senior staff will be able to be equipped with devices.

DISRUPTION: Personal text messages, social media, and calls cannot be ‘turned off’ or separated from work applications.

Staff using consumer devices may get distracted taking their attention away from their work and reduce their productivity.

INFECTION CONTROL: Consumer smart phones can lead to contamination of bacteria and MRSA because they are not

cleaned properly. The RCN advises cleaning with detergent and disinfectant. Consumer devices cannot withstand the

disinfectants used in healthcare.

WORKPLACE FRIENDLY: With its hard floors the healthcare environment is not consumer device friendly. Devices are

not designed to pass the MIL standard drop test and when dropped will more than likely suffer damage.

PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY: Smartphone features which allow the sharing of photos, data, or texts expose the

provider to the possibility of violating patient privacy. The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement has suggest that

a risk of texting is ensuring that the correct person has received and understood the information sent via text - in the USA,

texting about patients over the public network is banned.

CONNECTIVITY: Smart devices need robust and reliable

data connectivity. Using public cellular data connectivity

to access applications and data is okay for staff who

work off-site, but for in-building connectivity to healthcare

applications, and voice services it does not work. Poor

in-building coverage and no access to UC productivity tools

means solutions which use the public cellular network are

not competitive against those which use a WLAN network

for in-building service provision.



Healthcare optimised smart devices offer significant benefits for the healthcare provider. Designed for the

healthcare environment they are ready to link with many healthcare solutions.

Healthcare optimised devices

DESIGNED FOR THE WORKPLACE Healthcare optimised smart devices such as the PIVOT from Spectralink are

designed to pass the MIL standard drop test and are able to withstand long term us in what could be an unfriendly

environment.

RESISTANT TO DISINFECTANTS The PIVOT healthcare

smart devices are resistant to disinfectants.

HEALTHCARE APPLICATION READY Healthcare

optimised devices such as PIVOT come ready for

integration with healthcare solutions. Available on selected

devices these include:

Patient Monitoring – Spectralink NOTIFY:

Supports the integration of Spectralink devices

with middleware vendors and patient monitoring

applications - alerts and alarms are delivered directly

to the device.

Care worker safety – Spectralink SAFE: Supports

integration of Spectralink devices with solutions

which detect situations where a health worker may

be in danger or need assistance - it enables lone,

mobile workers to quickly summon help.

Nurse Call – Spectralink Reach: Brings together

nurse call systems and wireless handsets to deliver

alerts to mobile staff from any in-building location.

Secure Messaging – Spectralink Connect:

Information can be distributed with the confidence

© Independent Computer Owners Network PLC. 2008. E&OE

Contact us For more information contact ICON on 01727 730000,

or email [email protected]

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that nothing is stored on the mobile device -

ensuring patient privacy, and providing care givers

with powerful communications options on the job.

Spectralink CONNECT integrates into existing

mobile communications infrastructure.

In addition selected Spectralink devices can provide

a message-to-all or message-to-many function so,

if there is a medical emergency or a security issue

teams can be co-ordinated to resolve problems

quickly and easily.

MULTI-FUNCTION: Multi-function healthcare devices such

as PIVOT can be used as barcode readers, pagers, tablet computers, and telephones. Using a single device to provision

a number of service functions means few devices for the care worker to carry. PIVOT is one of the few solutions to offer

the option of a 2D industrial grade barcode scanner.

BUDGET FRIENDLY: The lifetime costs of healthcare smart devices such as the PIVOT is a strong argument for their use

in healthcare. With a useable life of 5 years or more amortisation costs are low and there are no network charges, and

with fewer breakages, and devices that have no purpose outside of the organisation, equipment losses are negligible.

UNIVERSAL USAGE: The lifetime cost profile means that it is possible to cost justify provisioning all healthcare worker

roles with a device. In comparison, consumer grade devices with their short life span, high attrition rate due to breakages

and losses means that often only a few senior care worker roles can be provisioned.

In addition, for health care staff who don’t necessarily need the versatility of a smart touch screen Spectralink provided

other wireless handset solutions, the 8400 series Wi-Fi solutions and the DECT wireless 7400 series

For almost a quarter of a century ICON has distributed

communication based work solutions. It represents

some of the worlds leading brands including.

Spectralink wireless handset solutions

Extricom Wi-Fi infrastructure

4ipnet Wi-Fi infrastructure and internet access

Nomadix internet access solutions

BlueSky Wireless messaging

Multitone wireless messaging

Vertical UC solutions

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Smart Handsets/Devices


bibliography

CARE HOMES | MEDICAL CENTRES | HOSPITALS | CLINICS | SURGERIES

RCN guidance nursing staff using personal mobile phones for work purposes : http://bit.ly/1ZdIVAl

Managing and administering medication in care homes for older people : http://bit.ly/1FWCJ6L

Texting - NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement : http://bit.ly/1TRL1lF

Mobile Phones in Hospital Settings: A Serious Threat to Infection Control Practices : http://bit.ly/1ZdJkmr

Smartphone equipment a risk for hospital infections : http://bit.ly/1YmQLFj

icon-plc.co.uk

Contact us For more information contact ICON on 01727 730000,

or email [email protected]

Ref WP04 © ICON PLC 2016

smart devices in healthcare

Health & Medicine