e-HEALTH CLINICAL TRIAL TO INCREASE PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY OF CARE
Public hospital patients are benefiting from wireless mobile computer technology being trialled by doctors on the Gold Coast. Health Minister Stephen Robertson today visited Robina Hospital to meet with junior doctors and other clinical staff trialling Tablet PCs on their medical rounds.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Public hospital patients are benefiting from wireless mobile computer technology being trialled by doctors on the Gold Coast.
Health Minister Stephen Robertson today visited Robina Hospital to meet with junior doctors and other clinical staff trialling Tablet PCs on their medical rounds.
Mr Robertson said the use of Tablet PCs had potential benefits for patient safety and quality of care.
“Junior doctors and other clinicians are essentially mobile workers, so providing them with Tablet PCs they can take on their rounds will increase efficiency and deliver better outcomes for patients,” he said.
“Tablet PCs enable doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to obtain the information they require as they are performing clinical duties at the point of care.
“This means the real-time recording of results, increasing the amount of time doctors are able to spend with patients.
“Early results from the trial estimate 30-60 minute savings per clinician per day is achievable, because doctors don’t have to walk away from patients to record information.
“That’s good news for patient safety and quality of care, because it means clinicians spend more time treating people and less on administration.”
Mr Robertson said 16-20 doctors had so far taken part in the three-month FIDO Clinical Assistants e-health Trial at Robina Hospital.
He said the next phase of the trial would involve the use of Tablet PCs by other professional groups, including senior ward nurses, clinical pharmacists and emergency staff.
“These mobile computers are highly durable and have the capacity to be wiped down and sterilised with clinical disinfectants,” Mr Robertson said.
“They’re specifically designed for the clinical environment and have integrated functions which help to reduce the number of devices, such as cameras and barcode readers, carried by clinicians.
“This trial is part of the Bligh Government’s eHealth initiative, which aims to harness smart technology to improve clinical practice and provide safer health services.
“It’s about increasing our capacity to deliver health services to an ageing and growing population with a dwindling global workforce.”
Mr Robertson said the project would assess the impacts and benefits of wireless mobile computers and provide recommendations for the further use of such devices in Queensland’s public hospitals.
MEDIA: Martin Philip 3225 2680 or 0407 675 008
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