NetMotion Wireless, a provider of software to manage and secure wireless deployments, conducted an online survey by inviting a selection of HIMSS members to respond.
NetMotion develops productivity and management solutions that enable organizations with mobile workforces to optimize their investment in wireless data networking.
It was revealed in a release that NetMotion Wireless was not aware of who the participants of the survey were. The initial requests to participate were anonymous. The respondents comprised of people belonging to many categories.
Out of the 235 respondents, a huge proportion worked in hospital or multi-hospital systems. They formed 84 percent of the total. Besides there were also significant responses received from outpatient staff that formed around 5.4 percent of the respondents. About 2.2 percent belonged to managed care/IDNs and other sectors, revealed survey analysts.
Respondents were allowed to provide free-form text responses or questions besides responding to multiple choice questions. Several of these free-form responses indicated that security, dropped connections and convenience were major factors to be taken into consideration.
Wireless technology has been highlighted as an important and rapidly growing area in the healthcare industry. HIMSS Analytics Database revealed that around two-thirds of U.S. hospitals have been using wireless technology within their healthcare delivery organization.
The advantages of wireless technology have been leveraged in a wide range of services including electronic medical records/electronic health records (EMR/EHR), computerized physician order entry, medical monitoring and diagnostic imaging, and in almost all areas of patient/clinician/institution interaction, explained officials.
The questions included in the survey covers a wide range of topic areas including respondent healthcare sector; importance of wireless solution; increases in staff productivity; percentage estimates of staff productivity increases and number of workers using wireless applications.
Besides the survey also garnered information from respondents regarding all types of applications in use; use of wireless devices; who uses wireless data applications and reasons for investing in wireless data applications, said officials.
NetMotion’s solution, Mobile VPN helps users increase productivity, security and management. One such solution from the company Mobility XE is a mobile VPN software. This maximizes mobile field workers’ productivity by maintaining, securing and optimizing their data connections as they move in and out of wireless coverage areas and move between networks. Mobility XE overcomes multiple mobile-deployment challenges including coverage gaps, inter-network roaming, variable bandwidth, network security and manageability.
In related company news, NetMotion Wireless, announced recently that it made the 2011 Technology Fast 500, Deloitte’s annual ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America.
Shamila Janakiraman is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Shamila’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
