“Most Wired” hospitals are partnering with other providers to share health data, study found. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Boston Medical Center reduces support costs and adds functionality with a wireless LAN upgrade.
With all the talk of Big Data, there are still big questions as to how to most effectively leverage information and data to make a positive impact on healthcare delivery, cost, and outcomes. One health system leader thinks an approach developed by a Major League baseball team might be a game changer.
Health IT is in a state of constant evolution, and it often seems that, for every problem solved, another is created. That’s why it’s vital we stop to assess where the industry stands from time to time, as well as look to the future to determine the best course to take to achieve our collective goals.
Modern medicine depends on computer technology. Even the most basic of procedures, a physical checkup, begins with a physician typing a patient’s medical history into a laptop. And the advances that improve health care and help extend life spans—MRI scanners, X-ray machines, blood analyzers, etc.—all run on technology. But who keeps the technology running?
The consumerization of mobile devices, also known as bring your own device (BYOD), is a major trend affecting healthcare. This involves healthcare workers using their personal mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, to access applications that enable them to deliver care whenever and wherever it is needed. Concurrent are the broader trends of increasing caregiver mobility and the use of cloud computing— whether in the form of electronic health record (EHR) software as a service (SaaS), an enterprise private cloud, or other health- care cloud offerings.
Today, it seems that everywhere you go it is possible to access a Wi-Fi service with your smartphone, digital tablet, or laptop. Except, perhaps, at your workplace. Yet interest in providing wireless access within offices and other facilities is growing fast among businesses of all types and sizes. This interest reflects business needs and trends, such as...
After identifying your cloud computing goals, consider the type of network you want. Although a public network that uses the Internet to transport all traffic may seem like an attractive choice, it involves significant trade-offs for performance and security. Applications may not perform properly and/or bandwidth may not be available for mission-critical applications. Your network may suffer latency, jitter, and packet loss.
Many industry leaders championed a free market approach to healthcare during the 12th Annual World Health Care Congress last week. Here are a few key reasons why I don’t think this model is “the fix” our industry so desperately needs.
What technologies will shape the future of healthcare as the industry ventures into the looming “post-EHR era”?
This year, I had the honor of speaking at the 2013 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition. The focus of my presentation was the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend that is currently sweeping healthcare. My goal was to provide healthcare IT executives with the information necessary to establish a BYOD program that caters to employee demands while ensuring that corporate assets and health data are secure.
Are you avoiding BYOD for fear of the data security and mobile management issues it can create? Bad idea. Representatives of three healthcare facilities outline the security, productivity, and economic advantages you can realize through BYOD done right.
Our annual reader survey may have identified the top 10 health IT trends for the coming year, but three initiatives clearly rank above the rest when it comes to provider mindshare.
Community hospitals have unique financial and IT resource limitations that can make an EHR implementation more challenging. Representatives from three community hospitals share their tips for success.
As editor in chief, I’m thrilled to bring you the first issue of our magazine to be produced under our new moniker of Health IT Outcomes! It’s been a long journey to this point, and wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless dedication of our entire staff. We hope you enjoy the results.
Healthcare is currently wrapped in a cloud of mobility, but what applications hold the most promise for providers and their patients, and what does the future hold?
Wireless infrastructure, wireless networks, or WiFi networks are some of the most challenging IT implementations done at hospitals. Wireless networks in hospitals often have to support a large range of devices, from medical equipment to laptops and desktops, to hospital-owned mobile devices, and even devices owned by doctors, nurses, staff, and patients. In addition to supporting a varying range of devices, these networks cannot interfere with the sensitive medical equipment throughout the hospital while still providing maximum coverage throughout the facility.
Common uses of wireless networks in hospitals include clinical communication, guest access, medical device connectivity, location tracking, and inventory management. Guest access can be one of the largest challenges, as the guest network must be secured properly or be separate from the network that operates critical-care devices in order to prevent any accidental or intentional damage or outages.
“Most Wired” hospitals are partnering with other providers to share health data, study found. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
