Clinical Mobility: The Solution for Better Staff Communication and Patient Safety
Mobility has become a way of life. Technology enables people to do their jobs remotely, get same-day delivery, and monitor their homes when they’re gone. We rely on our mobile devices—smartphones and tablets—as consumers and workers, to stay connected with our deeply connected world. The demands on healthcare require a rapid but accurate response, increasing the need for clinical mobility, using mobile technology at the point of care. The solution for better staff communication and patient safety comes from the technology we have in the palm of our hands!
A recent Zebra Technologies study, “The Future of Healthcare: 2022 Hospital Vision Study” estimates the growth of mobile device use by physicians will rise from 51% in 2017 to 98% in 2022. Nurses are projected to increase their use from 65% to 97% in the same time span, and the number of pharmacists adopting mobile devices will more than double, from 42% to an anticipated 96%.
One of the main reasons hospitals are more fully embracing the benefits of clinical mobility is the potential for improving the quality of patient care. Instant access to records, information, and other staff allows them to make informed decisions more quickly.
The digital data trail also reduces the risk of human error. Zebra’s vision study reported that 61% of the hospitals surveyed indicated they had reduced medication errors as a result of integrating clinical mobility, and 52% said they decreased specimen collection labeling mistakes.
Communication breakdowns constitute another problem that is addressed with clinical mobile technology. When nurses, physicians, clinicians, and other staff need to connect and collaborate, time is of the essence. Today’s advanced rugged mobile computers are better equipped to share information—like records, vitals, videos, and more—to strengthen communication and provide accurate and remote diagnostic help in real-time. Whether nurse-to-nurse, nurse-to-physician, or patient monitoring, this instant communication increases patient care while also improving staff productivity, making a healthy saving on the cost of care.
Have you deployed clinical mobility in your hospital or clinic? The latest advances in mobile technology deliver a wider range of functions—improvements in computing power, scanning, security, wireless connectivity, memory, durability, and battery life.
Cal-Sierra Technologies is a Zebra Premier Partner, so we utilize the most innovative, purpose-built mobile technology for healthcare. Zebra’s “HC” devices are designed to withstand constant disinfecting. The Zebra TC51-HC and MC40-HC mobile computers present the sleek style of a smartphone with the rugged intelligence that is critical in a demanding environment that counts on high performance.
Talk to us at Cal-Sierra Technologies to leverage the lower total cost of ownership and rapid ROI that comes with making the right choices of your healthcare technology solutions.