AirWatch, a provider of smartphone and mobile device management software, announced today a gift of $100,000 to Inova Health System, a Northern Virginia not-for-profit healthcare provider, for its Telemedicine Institute’s mobility programs, for remote wireless monitoring of patients for more timely treatment and quality of care.

According to a new report from TechNavio, the global patient monitoring system market will swell to $9.3 billion in 2014, as reported at mobilhealthnews.com. The site also notes that monitoring can greatly minimize hospital stays, thus driving down costs. 

Inova, which serves over 1 million patients each year, will use the gift to fund three initiatives. The first, the Telestroke Program, will provide neurologists with mobile technology and software to improve their stroke response times and administer drugs in a more timely and efficient manner.  Inova will use AirWatch’s gift for a second initiative, funding a program to examine the impact of mobility technology on physician-inpatient productivity, with the pilot being conducted at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

With the third initiative, Inova will fund a home-health pilot program, which will provide home health nurses with tablets to improve the quality of care and productivity.

AirWatch has focused on healthcare technology for many years, including its broad functionality for WinMobile (Windows Mobile) devices, the ability to monitor device batteries in Carts on Wheels used by the nurses, and full support of 802.11 specifications for mobile deployments. With mobile data security a concern for all healthcare providers, AirWatch guarantees HIPAA compliance within the mobile environment.

Home-healthcare agencies and hospice providers use AirWatch to secure, monitor, manage and support more than 50,000 smartphones used in mission-critical situations by healthcare professionals in the daily care of patients. AirWatch provides a single, integrated view of all mobile devices’ status and current location, including those devices deployed and actively in use as well as those currently off the network.

AirWatch technology ensures the caregiver is at the correct location and the correct patient is being cared for. The solution also enables each agency’s IT staff to update and troubleshoot device issues remotely, eliminating unnecessary trips to its offices for service or device replacement.

In addition, AirWatch provides numerous hospitals, including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, with comprehensive real-time monitoring, management and support for their campuses’ public wireless access.

“AirWatch and Inova share the same commitment to excellence in patient care,” said Dr. William Jackson, director of Adult Critical Care, Inova Health System.  “This very generous gift underwrites critical services, which will positively impact the diverse community we serve. By utilizing the technology made possible by this grant, the Inova Telemedicine Institute’s response to patient evaluation, intervention and care is greatly enhanced while assisting physicians and caregivers with respect to timely treatment and increased productivity.”

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