Wireless technology empowers physicians: Ohio hospital system improves patient care by allowing physicians secure access to critical data from any location

Health Management Technology, Dec, 2004 by Dave Fiser

Building on our initial success, the hospital now plans to deploy several portal enhancements that can be accessed via wireless technology. These include:

* a pharmacy medical administration record application, which will allow physicians to more easily track and access patient pharmaceutical records;

* an EKG application, which will allow quick and easy reporting capabilities and access to interpretations; and

* a physician office staff portal that will enable offices to schedule appointments and access patient demographics and test results securely over the Web.

Laying the Groundwork for Success

Careful planning was a critical factor in the successful pilot and subsequent phased rollout of our wireless portal implementation. Training was essential to give the physicians a sense of confidence from the start. The physicians involved in the program receive personalized training on the tablets and portal. Each physician works one-on-one with a member of the IT staff to learn how to use the tablet PC and leverage the portal's many features. Training meetings are arranged at the physicians' convenience. In addition, the IT staff configures each participating physician's office and home, allowing wireless access to information at any time and from nearly any location.

Our portal program is gaining recognition as a model for other facilities' wireless initiatives. Various hospital systems in the Canton/Akron/Cleveland metropolitan areas have inquired about Akron General's use of the physician portal and wireless tablet PC technology.

In designing the new portal system, we knew that we required physician support to build a program tailored specifically to their needs. The decision to build a new IT system, rather than upgrade our old program, was deliberate. We wanted to start fresh with the physicians' full cooperation and input. We met regularly with the physicians to involve them in portal plans, seeking input and feedback during the design and prototype processes, and redesigning, if necessary. We continued this process until we all agreed upon the final product.

Some facilities cite clinician resistance to new technologies as a hurdle to deploying and gaining the benefits of available leading-edge IT. Understanding this reality, we chose to involve physicians in every step of our wireless and portal implementation process. In doing so, we cultivated an environment that engendered a sense of excitement about new IT. As a result, we are able to reap the full benefits of our technology investment: a return on investment that includes increased physician productivity and higher levels of patient care.

Dave Fiser is director of ERP/e-Business, Akron General Health System, Akron, Ohio.