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Hospitals adopt handheld devices to improve efficiency

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, March 2, 2007

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To improve nurse efficiency and reduce the risk of errors, an increasing number of hospitals are purchasing handheld computers that can be used to chart vital signs, remotely access physician orders, and exchange information with other providers, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The newspaper reports that technology manufacturers Intel and Motion Computing are preparing to launch a tablet-sized device designed specifically for use in the hospital and clinic settings. The jointly-developed Motion C5 device will be available in May at a cost of roughly $2,200.

The devices use a conventional hook-up or wireless technology to record information directly from instruments at a patient's bedside and are designed to be interoperable with hospitals' recordkeeping systems. Some units feature a barcode reader that can be used to verify the accuracy of medication doses at the point of care and a digital camera that can be used to record the progress of wound healing.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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