Allscripts introduced an extension of the Allscripts Homecare solution. Known as Allscripts Mobile Homecare, the industry's first smartphone application is designed for physical therapists, nursing assistants and other clinicians who care for patients in their homes.
The full Allscripts Homecare solution is an electronic health record (EHR) for homecare agencies. By delivering point-of-care access to vital patient information, Allscripts Mobile Homecare helps prepare homecare agencies and hospices for the widely anticipated 'Silver Tsunami.' For those unaware, this term refers to the aging of 80 million Baby Boomers, notes Allscripts.
Beau Sorensen is the chief financial officer of First Choice Home Health and Hospice, whose 170 clinicians provide home-based and hospice care for patients across Utah. He noted that the all new Allscripts Mobile Homecare has arrived at the right moment, and it has made it easier for physical therapists to take care of more patients in their home. Sorensen added that Allscripts Mobile Homecare is expected to increase both the speed and quality of its therapist's supporting documentation, increasing its compliance with government regulations.
Allscripts commented that this is the first application targeted for specific types of homecare caregivers and has been designed with workflow considerations as a key principle. The has been a paucity of mobile electronic options for homecare and hospice clinicians and the company points out the unsuitability of traditional laptop point-of-care platforms for the mobility, flexibility and ease of use requirements needed in the range of post-acute care environments.
The PDA platforms available in the market are primarily focused on administrative functions like schedule compliance and mileage entry; these do not include the clinical information needed to deliver quality patient care.
Because Allscripts Mobile Homecare runs on a smartphone, it extends the benefits of the EHR into the home with an easy-to-use interface for staff. This not only permits effortless data gathering and updating of the clinical record but also preserves the hands-on care-giving interaction important to the patient encounter.
"Homecare agencies and hospices are, for the first time, being understood as a critical component in the continuum of care," said Glen Tullman, CEO of Allscripts, in a press release. "We need to leverage technology to provide clinicians, nurses and other caregivers in this space with better clinical information so when they receive patients from hospitals and other care environments, they can deliver optimal care and spend less time on administrative tasks. Allscripts Mobile Homecare connects to real-time information and new capabilities that not only make it easier for clinicians to make informed decisions but also save them valuable time," Tullman added.
Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jaclyn Allard
