Mobile technology is changing the way medical professionals are providing healthcare, making it possible to easily access patient information, medical histories, diagnostic testing, and resources via a handheld device while working in proximity to a patient. Called mobile point-of-care, the goal of this type of technology is to streamline communication and improve patient care.
UnitingCare Health, a not-for-profit private hospital group in Queensland, Australia, is using mobile point-of-care as part of the organization’s long-term strategy to promote patient care. The health provider added the Ascom Workstation on Wheels (WoW) solution in its St. Stephens Hospital. According to the organization, St. Stephens is the first fully digital integrated hospital in the country.
“The Ascom solution provides capability that will meet our hospital requirements and complement our working environment,” said Maryanne Cook, project manager eHealth Solutions at UnitingCare Health.
Ascom worked in conjunction with the hospital’s Elliott Data Systems MedProx medication dispensary cabinets. Each of the 45 WoW solutions reportedly integrate with the Medprox cabinets, making it easier to dispense medication appropriately.
The WoW systems were developed to meet the needs of a healthcare environment. The WoW solutions reportedly have cable routing designed to avoid snagging and make it easier to clean and manage as necessary.
Other features include fanless operation for infection control, button control motor lifter for height adjustment, larger wheels to decrease the amount of force needed to operate, an industrial grade battery for longer computer run time, and the ability to customize to individuals or hospitals with more than 30 different attachments.
The market for medical automation technology is forecast to grow from $13.1 billion this year to $23.2 billion in 2014, according to BCC Research. Major end-user segments for automated medical technologies include hospitals, stand-alone outpatient surgical centers, physician practices, pharmacies and other retail establishments, home-care recipients, the military, medical research institutes and clinical laboratories and medical schools and other training programs.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
