Healthcare is inherently a mobile environment. When it comes to higher quality and more efficient delivery of care, a growing body of research suggests that there is a link between the amount of clinician time at a patient's bedside and improved workflows and outcomes.
Simply put, the more care that occurs face-to-face with the patient, the better. As healthcare organizations prepare for the future regulatory landscape as it relates to quality initiatives and expectations, the integration and use of mobile applications into clinician workflows should be an important consideration.
Hospitals across the country are already leveraging the benefits of a mobile workforce to support collaboration, drive the use of evidence-based practices and eliminate errors. A 2012 survey conducted by the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) found that 75% of healthcare organizations have already deployed infrastructures and solutions allowing clinicians to access reference and clinical data via a mobile device. The primary benefit noted in the survey was “improved access to patient information and the ability to view data from a remote location.”
Improving accuracy, efficiency and outcomes through mobile access to comprehensive drug information
By Elaine Lau, Manager of Drug Information Services, SickKids
Healthcare is inherently a mobile environment. When it comes to higher quality and more efficient delivery of care, a growing body of research suggests that there is a link between the amount of clinician time at a patient's bedside and improved workflows and outcomes.
Simply put, the more care that occurs face-to-face with the patient, the better. As healthcare organizations prepare for the future regulatory landscape as it relates to quality initiatives and expectations, the integration and use of mobile applications into clinician workflows should be an important consideration.
Hospitals across the country are already leveraging the benefits of a mobile workforce to support collaboration, drive the use of evidence-based practices and eliminate errors. A 2012 survey conducted by the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) found that 75% of healthcare organizations have already deployed infrastructures and solutions allowing clinicians to access reference and clinical data via a mobile device. The primary benefit noted in the survey was “improved access to patient information and the ability to view data from a remote location.”
Toronto-based SickKids is realizing these benefits and more after deploying Lexicomp® Online™, a web-based application, enabling hospital-wide access to time sensitive drug information via an easy-to-use interface. Additionally, by arming our clinicians with mobile access to Lexicomp, they can now access comprehensive drug information quickly and conveniently on the go, from any location and at any time information is needed.
Identifying the Need for Improved Mobility
Affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is recognized as a leading pediatric healthcare provider and research institution that has generated discoveries helping children globally. The organization operates a number of specialized centers covering cancer, bone health, brain and behavior, cystic fibrosis, heart conditions, pain, transplants and genetics.
The original decision to deploy Lexicomp was driven by the pharmacy department as SickKids’ pharmacists sought out the software application for its ability to create a web-based formulary. As a result of utilizing Lexicomp formulary services, the formulary editor was able to update the formulary in real-time as needed, making it more accessible to the clinicians.
Realizing the immediate benefits to medication safety and accuracy, it soon became apparent that greater opportunities to impact patient care were being left on the table by not creating an avenue for hospital-wide access to a comprehensive, pediatric-specific drug information reference tool. Specifically, a need was identified for additional pediatric-focused reference information that would enable clinicians to quickly locate relevant data on an array of topics ranging from pediatric drug dosing and IV compatibility, to international drugs, and patient education materials.
Without an avenue to access comprehensive drug information from any location, clinicians would have to leave the bedside and return to the nurse’s station to find a computer, ultimately impacting workflow efficiency and patient interactions. This workflow challenge was especially evident during patient rounds, when the need to double check pediatric dosing for drugs not in the formulary might be necessary.
Leveraging Mobile Technologies to Improve Workflows
Key to making the choice for Lexicomp Online was the need for a solution that was designed with the nuances of mobile devices in mind. If vendors don’t consider both the capabilities and limitations of mobile devices when designing a product—especially when it comes to medication safety—the end-result can bring negative impacts to clinician satisfaction and adoption rates.
Recognizing the potential to impact safer medication choices and healthcare delivery hospital-wide, the decision to also deploy Lexicomp® On-Hand™, a mobile offering to Lexicomp drug information and clinical content, was a move in the right direction. Easily accessed from a smartphone or tablet, the mobile application provides quick access to drug information, lab and diagnostic procedures, diseases and patient education by all clinicians on any mobile device. More importantly, the content is stored directly on the mobile device, ensuring access regardless of a device’s signal strength.
For example, clinicians can now assess IV compatibility at the bedside by simply inputting the drugs in question into the application. The tool not only informs of Y-site capability but also syringe and admixture capability on the same screen. Drug references help clinicians complete such tasks as pediatric dosing of drugs at the bedside, and the ability to store content on mobile devices ensures uninterrupted access to needed drug information, helping to eliminate the potential for error.
Also important was the ability of the application to seamlessly link between two independent drug information resources within the same interface, including the company’s own point-of-care content and AHFS for a more comprehensive research solution. This way, clinicians can quickly locate important information related to dosing, administration and drug interactions at the point-of-care as well as find answers to tough clinical questions.
Another important consideration was the availability of customer support, which can be accessed via a variety of mechanisms such as Web forms, email and direct phone conversations to provide feedback or overcome any issues.
Conclusion
In today’s mobile anytime, anywhere world, the decision to add mobility to healthcare environments should be an easy one. It’s a critical piece to a forward-looking technology strategy that will support initiatives to improve costs and patient outcomes. Specifically, when clinicians have instant access to the most up-to-date drug and disease information, the results are fewer errors, better decisions and healthier, more satisfied patients.
Elaine Lau is the manager of drug information services with Toronto-based SickKids.
