The Health Record Review
by Patty Enrado (www.ehrwatch.com)
Several studies point to a higher adoption rate of smartphones by physicians than the general public. Given the historical low rates of technology adoption within the healthcare industry, this news may come as a surprise.
The convenience factor of smartphones for busy physicians, however, is a no-brainer. It fits their workflow and mobility. The acceptance of these devices should be leveraged to drive EHR adoption.
The problem that physicians are encountering is not being able to access patient data on their smartphones. Imagine the power unlocked for physicians if they could gain access. Being able to connect to relevant data would make EHRs and EMRs more valuable to physicians and open the door to greater acceptance and adoption.
A few barriers exist, one of which is privacy and security policies. This is an area in which hospital CIOs should attend to in order to allow connectivity and ease to connect.
Another issue is the hospital's ability to connect multiple wireless devices to their EMRs and EHRs. This is a technical issue that can be solved.
Speaking of technical issues, this is a call to smartphone application developers, communications vendors and EHR and EMR vendors to collaborate to make connectivity and access happen.
There are so many stories of physicians accessing patient data far away from the hospital or clinic and being able to treat patients efficiently, quickly and with a high degree of safety. Likewise, there are many anecdotes about happy patients and physicians.
The health IT vendor community ought to take advantage of this state of affairs. It's good for patients, providers and the health IT movement.
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