Reference no: EM133554899

Case Study: Today, there are many job functions for both rank-and-file employees and their managers that can be performed using smartphones and tablets (including the iPad, iPhone, and Android mobile devices), and this is true for healthcare as well. Mobile technology is spreading to core work functions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, and it is also powering applications that patients can use themselves.

There are more than 350,000 medical, health, and fitness apps in major app stores, and two-thirds of the largest US hospitals offer their own proprietary mobile health apps. Ninety percent of physicians use smartphones at work to access electronic health records, communicate with their team members, reference information, or manage their schedules. According to the Boston Technology Corporation, 74 percent of patients say using wearables and other mHealth tools helps them cope with and manage their conditions. Mobile telehealth visits have exploded because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are many other innovative applications that increase patient engagement and well-being.

Geisinger Medical Center (GMC) in Danville, Pennsylvania, is an example of how the mobile platform can improve many facets of healthcare. Geisinger has long been known for its innovative approach to patient care, which is reflected in its extensive use of mobile technology.

Dr. Jonathan Slotkin is a neurosurgeon and medical director of Geisinger in Motion, which is responsible for Geisinger's digital initiatives. According to Slotkin, Geisinger believes that the patient needs to be the center of things and that mobile IT applications help make that possible.

Mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone help patients learn about their conditions and treatments and play a big role in patient care. GMC in-patients waiting for a procedure to begin or waiting to talk with their doctor can learn more about their conditions or their test results even before they see their physician. They can call up their lab results on a hospital-issued iPad available in many areas of the hospital. Patients also can upload their medical records to their smartphones. GMC has found that patients who use the iPads during their stay are more knowledgeable about their conditions.

Children in the hospital who are heading to surgery can download their favourite games onto their iPads. This provides a distraction that can relieve the stress of facing surgery or tests. Young patients entertaining themselves with games or shows on the tablets before surgery often require less sedation and pain medication, which promotes faster recovery.

Geisinger's hospital systems team delivers around 100 apps through a service portal that patients can download; these apps include games, news, weather, and social media. About 30 or 40 of those apps are for pediatric patients. Patients are allowed to supply their own Apple ID for some of the apps, such as Minecraft. When a patient is discharged, the patient's apps are erased, and the iPad is digitally and physically cleaned.

At Geisinger, children in the hospital for prolonged treatment don't have to miss school: A robot with an iPad attached on top travels from class to class, enabling the hospitalized students to see their friends and to see each other. The iPad raises when the patients raise their hands. Danville Middle School parents and students said the program was not just about keeping up with classes-it also reinforced connections between students and teachers. Because of language barriers or physical impairments, many people cannot access the health care they need. When non-English-speaking patients lack interpretation services, patient engagement rates drastically decline. Studies show that patients who are engaged with their care are more likely to follow healthcare plans, attend more appointments, and fill more prescriptions. They are also less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.

Tablets such as iPads can also help bridge the communication gap between healthcare professionals and people with different abilities: The tablets enable physicians to utilize video interpretation services in sign language as well as spoken language. This capability is especially helpful when treating people with hearing impairments.

The iPad and iPhone have a Translate app that addresses this problem. The Translate app can translate text, voice, and conversations between any two of the languages it supports. You can download languages to translate entirely on the device, even without an Internet connection. Geisinger uses the iPad for language translation services, as does the Harris Health System, which serves the residents of Harris County, Texas. Smartphones and tablet applications enable healthcare workers to move from room to room without having to log out of the system they are using or access another computer to enter or extract information. It is much more efficient to be able to access a patient's full medical profile than to carry around a stack of papers. With the necessary data at their fingertips, doctors and nurses can focus more easily on the patient.

Questions:

Based on your knowledge of another industry:

1. What are some of the problems faced by that industry?

2. How could some of the technologies discussed in the case apply to that industry?

3. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of relying on mobile platforms?