Trends in Nursing Informatics: Mobile Devices

Introduction

For years healthcare delivery has been limited to health provider areas such as hospitals, doctors offices, clinics and other facilities offering care. The introduction of mobile technologies in the healthcare field has changed the way health care is practiced and plays a key role in its future. Concerns remain at the forefront of discussions regarding patient privacy and transmission of proprietary data. The introduction of the personal digital assistant and smart phone will revolutionize care in the coming years.

Mobile Technologies

When you hear the term wireless you might think of a laptop. Wireless is the technology of sending information over the air. Many devices now have this technology, from laptops to PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) and smartphones. Smartphones even have PDA’s in them in which you can read, send, and receive e-mail and pictures. When we discuss wireless, think of the transmission of data over a secured network. PDA’s will be the staple of technology that will be used in the future. Let’s face it, most users of PDA’s in healthcare settings today are physicians checking their e-mail or nurses using them for reference. We have really not seen too much implementation with real-time software to use in the hospital setting. Hassett (2002, p. 32) stated, “Health care information is going mobile, and personal digital assistants are in the vanguard.” Although Hassett made this statement in 2002, we have seen little implementation since then. She says that healthcare facilities can link your PDA to their network and you can have access to information such as diagnosis and lab alerts. This statement is true, but most healthcare instructions have not broken the budget to provide...

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http://www.novarusmobile.com