Thanks to this thread on the Brighthand Forum, there is now a solution for those Tungsten C users who want to use Wi-Fi hotspots that require browser-based authentication, such as Verizon in NYC and T-Mobile: the iPanel wireless browser by Embedded Internet Solutions, Inc. I am about to evaluate this program, which apparently also includes some viewing options that can make the T|C's screen a bit easier to read, and will let you know how it goes. {Jonathan}
Being able to "carry around volumes and volumes of updated medical information" -- skyscape has >100 of titles in various specialties available on PalmOS
Jonathan's comment: Webinar is back online. Yay! :) I'll be getting a link to a copy of the presentation--if it's public, I'll post it to PalmBlog. Supposedly, it will also show the applications Dr. Bade demonstrated.
90% of healthcare facilities involved in some stage of a wireless deployment<
St. Mary's Health Care System purchased 290 Tungsten C's, deploying MercuryMD's Mdata Enterprise system
Palm running a buy 10/get 1 free promotion for healthcare facilities on Tungsten C's
At this point, Dr. Bade is using the Palm emulator to show how he would use various apps to treat a mythical patient named Valerie Bloom. Starts with Siemens' PDAccess for real-time patient data
Jonathan's Comment: The moderator just said that there are "nearly 700 people on the line." Says a lot both about the interest that healthcare professionals have in this area, and the number with broadband access!
Jonathan's Comment: Whoops, Webcast connection just died. The wonders of technology. Dr. Bade is continuing on the audio portion, which is being carried on POTS (the Plain Old Telephone System)
Dr. Bade: Physicians saving 30-45 minutes a day not having to get paper records or look for a terminal; can answer patient's questions about their test results immediately from the bedside
Next Speaker: Dr. Sameer Bade, Physician Consultant, MedStar Health e-Health Initiative (Columbia, MD):
MedStar Health encourages PDAs for 4 reasons:
Deployed solutions including Palm (2 facilities have Tungsten Cs and all support IR access to network); wireless from Cisco; software including DrFirst; internal AvantGo application server; Siemens PDAccess for access to patient data; ePocrates; skyscape
Provide PDAs and software to residents and select staff members; create clinically-relevant content (Formularies, user guides, medication safety guides, "on-time documents")
Make recommendations for purchase, work with software vendors, negotiate volume discounts for physicians
Physician's busy days: Specifically, Palm devices can provide electronic patient diaries for clinical trials, in addition to other aspects of physician life. Electronic diaries help with compliance (time/date stamps), and following completion of trial, data can be utilized as soon as the trial finishes.
Nurses: Reduced data entry time, more time for patient care, less time to research information, increased accuracy through medical references and calculators; Palm plans a Webinar on nursing issues from Palm Healthcare
"5 Minute Clinical Consult" a valuable product for nurses
Pharmacists: Analyze drug therapies, increased participation in treatment and education, increased accuracy; apps include Lexi-comp -- Lexi drugs; AHFS; Medical calculators
Benefits to small medical practices
Recommended handhelds: Zire71 and Tungsten C
Tungsten C especially has power, wireless capability, and full-day battery life (10-12 hours), keyboard built in
Recent Tungsten T2 launch: 32 Megs of RAM, good screen, built-in Bluetooth, Voice Recorder, slider design for compact storage, MP3 player, video playback
According to the presentation, nearly 35% of physicians use handhelds, and 2/3 to 34 of those are PalmOS (Gartner 2002). A MercuryMD survey says 79% of the 2000 residents surveyed are using PalmOS units, 4%
PocketPC.
Jonathan's comment: I wonder how many of those devices are actually provided
by the hospitals, and how many doctors are simply doing it on their own?
Use breakout: 84% scheduling, 67% professional scheduling, 53% durg information, 16% clinical decision support, 10% to prescribe meds, 6% to complete charge capture, 4% to access medical records... it's anticipated that lab results and patient data access and decision support materials are the growth areas of medical PDA use.
Apps: McKesson's Horizon MobileCare Rounding and Messaging; PatientKeeper Personal; MercuryMD's Mdata Enterprise System, and ePocrates Rx.
Jonathan's comment: My health insurance provider, Oxford, makes its formulary available to members through
ePocrates.
pdaMD.com provides applications and information, skyscape provides "online mobile solutions and medical resources."
Jonathan's comment: I published some reviews on pdaMD's sister site pdaJD. It's interesting to see how the vertical sites differ.
HIPAA requirements: PalmOS 5.0 and up meet HIPAA requirements; OS has built-in security (system level authorization and authentication; SSL encryption); applications from Palm Solutions Providers provide additional protections (passwords; encryption; VPNs)
Highspeed networks (LANs/WANs) used by 68% of health care facilities
RE: Hospitals and Data Security: 802.1x/LEAP coming from Meetinghouse AEGIS in August; VPN built-in, and Certicom movianVPN, an IPSec client, available in fall.
I am sitting at my desk, waiting for the beginning of the Palm Healthcare Solutions Webinar. It's just begun--I will give a brief synopsis of anything interesting after it's done. {Jonathan}