When Apple announced the release of the iPad, we were buzzing, coming up with ideas of how it could be useful for some of our clients in member-based industries. In What We Think About the iPad, we talked about how healthcare providers could easily access EHR health records and educational records using the new device.
It looks like at least one hospital is already bringing Apple’s innovative technology to its staff. Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital was highlighted by Apple for not only using the iPhone, but for developing the VitalHub app to make their work even easier.
Using VitalHub, says [Dr. Thomas Stewart, Chief of Medicine at Mount Sinai], “We now have access to exactly what we have in our computers here in the hospital. We can get access to our patients’ data whenever and wherever we want it. Knowing what’s happening with their drugs, radiology, laboratory values, microbiology results — it really enables me to make decisions on the go”…
Combining VitalHub with medical apps available on the App Store makes iPhone an even more powerful on-demand reference tool. “With VitalHub, I can see what drugs a patient is on,” Stewart says. “Previously, I’d have to call ICU and speak to the bedside nurse.” Once Stewart confirms a patient’s prescription drugs, he can use other apps on iPhone to quickly discover whether the drugs might interact inappropriately with each other.
“The whole concept of everything in one device, and being able to move between applications — it’s fantastic.” And De Lio adds, “The speed and performance of iPhone and the app is a big benefit for patients because all the information is coming to their caregiver a lot faster”…
For Mount Sinai’s physicians and the patients they serve, the hospital’s decision to integrate iPhone into daily operations has transformed patient care, allowing doctors to make faster, more-informed decisions. “We believe iPhone is going to shift the way we practice medicine,” Dwivedi says.
“This is big stuff, more important than anything,” Stewart agrees. “iPhone is the future of health care.”
Kudos to this hospital for combining cutting-edge technology with quality patient care. I bet they can’t wait to get all of their patient data onto the larger screen iPad.
To read the full article about Mount Sinai, check it out here on Apple’s website. Be sure to watch the video of the app in action.
