Mobile Technology: Beyond Bedside Meds Administration at Colorado’s Parkview

Well, every day we think about how we can give a nurse what he/she needs, as opposed to saying, “Here’s a piece of software, go make it work.” That’s one of the main things we are trying to accomplish, and it’s really become an ongoing focus for health IT every day. It sounds like a concept everyone normally thinks about, but to be honest, it’s not always adhered to. So when we look at the whole array of pieces such as reducing readmissions and improving the quality of customer service, keeping the nurse in the patient’s room is key.

We require hourly rounding at Parkview, and one of the things this system helps us do is to take care of the standard processes much quicker, which allows the nurse to get back in the room and spend more time with the patient. As we get things like critical lab results and vitals on the device, nurses won’t have to run back to the nurse’s station or grab a computer on wheels.  Instead, they’ll have a handheld [device] that will keep them in the room. We think that’s really important because we’re very convinced that the amount of time a nurse spends with the patient will certainly improve these patients.