University of Phoenix
HCS/320 Health Care Communication Strategies
Kathrine Crawford
June 6th, 2010
Communication & Information Technology
Wireless Technology has brought communication and information technology to a new level with more advancements emerging everyday. Wireless technology has changed the face and day to day operations of health care and promises better, faster, and more reliable care at a reduced cost.
Wireless technology allows nurses and doctors to have complete access to patients’ records via a hand held device, without the patient being in the office. It allows patient charts to be updated real time and provide prescription safety checks through drug databases. Some examples that are approved by the FDA are Wearable Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications and Implantable Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications. Implantable Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications are external light weight portable devices connected to sensors placed on the body or close to the body, allowing wireless monitoring data to be transmitted to a base station or remote monitoring service. Wearable Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications offer remote monitoring through garments such as the SmartShirt. Both applications are portable and provide upstream communication from patient to provider. The most popular applications on the market today are used for cardiac monitoring, blood glucose monitoring, and patient vital signs. Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications offer rapid response times to medical emergencies. As with any new technology there are advantages and disadvantages of Portable Physiological Monitoring Applications. Perhaps one of the most challenging pieces is privacy and security and incomplete coverage, all patient information regardless the way it is transmitted shall continue to follow HIPPA guidelines. This means all information should be password protected and
References: California Healthcare Foundation. (2007, November). Health Care Unplugged: The Evolving Role of Wireless Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.chcf.org/~/media/Files/PDF/H/HealthCareUnpluggedTheRoleOfWireless.pdf Chambers, H. (2010). Wireless Health Care Holds Promise for Innovative Solutions. San Diego Business Journal; Vol. 31 Issue 20, p1-34, 2p http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=50874319&site=ehost-live