Physicians in MCP Hahnemann University's (MCPHU) cardiology and pulmonary clinical practices are participating in a three-month beta test program using the Palm VII Connected Organizer (Palm Pilot) in an effort to streamline patient care.
Whereas physicians traditionally keep patient cards in their lab coats and beepers on their belts, the introduction of the PDA into patient care may change "bedside manner" to "anywhere manner."
"Integrating Palm Pilots will enhance patient care. It's putting technology literally into the hands of the caregivers," said MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine Dean Dr. Warren Ross. "The doctors can retrieve or enter database information about a patient from right next to the patient's bed."
Utilizing their Palm Pilots, doctors can administer care, check a patient's status or analyze test results from anywhere at any time -at a patient's bedside or from any remote location in the continental United States. With the technology to monitor patients from the palms of their hands, physicians can respond to a patient's changing condition more rapidly regardless of the distance between the doctor and patient. Powered by the BellSouth network, the Palm VII units are pager-based, so they won't be affected by interference.
"Bringing Palm Pilot technology in the trauma center is a shrewd and appropriate move for the times," said Dr. Bartholomew Tortella, Chief of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care at Hahnemann. "Drexel is Philadelphia's technological university and with our burgeoning partnership, it's only natural that we should become known as Philadelphia's technological trauma center." In late 1998, Drexel accepted an invitation from Tenet Healthcare Corp. to operate MCP Hahnemann University.
In the first of the three-phase test, the physicians become familiar with checking schedules, retrieving email and Internet browsing with the Palm VII. In the second phase, doctors gain access to the medical practice management software package Signature, two modules of which are scheduling and charge entry. In the third phase, doctors will be able to access to clinical data, medical records, test results and history, along with Medline, the largest medical database in the world, and the ePocrates, a drug reference database.
"The doctors love it because they can increase their effectiveness in treating patients," said Director of Information Technology for Clinical Practices Charles B. Schorpp. "The units give the doctors instant access to all the information they need. Additionally, patient billing will run more smoothly."
The Palm VII beta test was undertaken with Malvern, Pa.-based healthcare technology service provider InteHealth, which developed the software suite CarePad for the test. The decision to distribute the Palm VII units to roughly 300 physicians at both MCP and Hahnemann hospitals will take place once beta test results are evaluated, according to Schorpp.
[ Home | Contact | MobiChat | Experts database | Let's do it ]
Comments to the content of this page can be posted on the MobiChat discussion group