SEATTLE, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly one-third of hospitals in the United States have deployed a wireless connectivity system in their healthcare organizations, according to the HIMSS Analytics(TM) Database. NetMotion Wireless, a leading provider of mobile productivity and management software, recently sponsored a focus group study in which researchers from HIMSS Analytics set out to identify some of the biggest challenges senior IT executives face when implementing wireless applications and devices in healthcare settings. The results of the study are now published in a free report available for download at www.netmotionwireless.com/resources/whitepapers.
Institutions represented in the focus groups ranged from large (1000+ bed) urban health systems to small (100 bed) rural organizations. All of the participants managed IT for diversified healthcare companies with hospitals, subacute, ambulatory and home health operations. Participants in the focus groups identified the following five key challenges that are detailed in the study:
- Physical connectivity issues;
- Technology connectivity issues;
- Extensive user demand;
- Security; and,
- Network management.
As indicated in the report, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $20 billion to promote the adoption and use of health information technology (HIT) and especially electronic health records (EHRs). Although there is no specific mention of wireless technology in the legislation, it can be inferred that since the funding is tied directly to migrating to an electronic health record environment, the use of wireless technology to capture and manage patient data electronically at the point of care, and to share this data with other caregivers, will be a key driver in wireless technology adoption for the next five years.
"In theory, secure mobile access to medical records and imaging, prescriptions, and even general administrative databases, should allow doctors, nurses and medics to treat more patients faster, more accurately, and with greater flexibility - from any location in a large hospital, during home visits, or at the scene of an ambulance response," said Jennifer Horowitz, senior director, research, HIMSS Analytics. "However, often the anticipated productivity gains are hampered by a series of fairly common issues related to wireless networks. This report examines some of those key issues and identifies some approaches healthcare agencies are utilizing to address them."
"For hospitals and healthcare agencies across the country, NetMotion Wireless helps mitigate many of the common challenges raised in this new report about wireless deployments," said Pam Cory, vice president of marketing, NetMotion Wireless. "Our Mobile Virtual Private Network, Mobility XE, provides secure connectivity, device and application management, and enhances the productivity of both the end users and IT managers. Our software provides healthcare professionals seamless roaming across wireless networks, and when connections are lost, automatically maintains application sessions freeing clinicians to focus on their patients, and not on their mobile laptop or device."
NetMotion Wireless supports the critical care operations of numerous healthcare providers, from major hospitals and health organizations such as St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, the Marshfield Clinic, and Lee Memorial Health System, to home healthcare organizations such as the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. In addition, the company supports the mobile deployments of a number of emergency medical services and other ambulatory care organizations.
About HIMSS Analytics
HIMSS Analytics is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The company collects and analyzes healthcare data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions. HIMSS Analytics delivers high quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, healthcare IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms. Visit www.himssanalytics.org for more information.
About NetMotion Wireless
Based in Seattle, NetMotion Wireless develops software to enable businesses and agencies to maintain and optimize connections to applications as their mobile workers move in and out of wireless coverage areas and across various networks. NetMotion's award-winning Mobile VPN, Mobility XE, enhances mobile worker productivity at more than 1,500 of the world's most respected organizations across multiple industries including utilities, healthcare, communications, public safety, local government, transportation and many others. For more information about NetMotion Wireless or its products, please visit www.netmotionwireless.com or call (206) 691-5500.