Fletcher Allen Healthcare Improves Emergency Department Care using NetMotion Mobility
Mobility management solution allows for convenient bedside registration, real-time patient data tracking and innovative dialysis management
Seattle, WA—December 1, 2004—NetMotion Wireless, the leader in mobility management software, today announced that Fletcher Allen Healthcare, Vermont's largest publicly supported, integrated healthcare system with the only Level One trauma center and academic medical center in the state, has mobilized its emergency departments at its five main campuses using NetMotion Mobility™ XE. Fletcher Allen Healthcare is among a growing number of medical centers implementing Mobility XE to provide wireless access to existing and future applications and comply with HIPAA regulations.
"The ultimate goal for going wireless on our campuses was to provide the best and most responsive emergency patient care," said Wes Daum, Network Engineer, Fletcher Allen Healthcare. "Going mobile with Mobility XE has kept our patient records secure while giving approved users to reliable and convenient access to the system wirelessly."
Improving Emergency Patient Care
Serving a population of more than one million in Vermont and Northern NY, Fletcher Allen Healthcare includes approximately 30 patient care sites, 120 outreach clinics, a medical staff of 700 physicians and a nursing staff of over 1,200 registered nurses. Fletcher Allen wanted to leverage the benefits of mobile computing to improve patient care, with the first wireless implementation being the ER. To go wireless they needed to identify a solution that would be secure enough to meet HIPAA requirements and at the same time integrate seamlessly with the hospital's current network architecture. Fletcher Allen also needed existing applications to run wirelessly without modification and costly upgrades.
Fletcher Allen implemented a Wi-Fi solution using Mobility XE for wireless and secure access to its crucial databases and applications. This wireless solution has since replaced a time-consuming, paper-based system that relied on doctors, nurses and hospital staff to register patients at the front desk, and monitor patient care from traditional paper-based charts and records, resulting in inconsistent compliance and incomplete record keeping.
The Results
Using Mobility XE, real-time ER patient care is a reality. Using pen-tablets and other hand-held devices, over 125 doctors, nurses and healthcare staff can now provide healthcare at a patient's bedside. Emergency staff can make better care decisions, track patient care and accurately document the medicines and care that each staff member gives. Staff can review patient medical records, detail the care provided, enter clinical notes, update medical records and capture activity for billing purposes.
Bedside registration. Using Mobility, critical care patients are able to get faster access to care. A patient can immediately get into an exam room and nurses and registration staff can handle the registration process at the patient's bedside.
Real-time patient tracking. With real-time access to patient records, doctors and nurses can see a patient's history, allowing them to provide more accurate care. And with the ability to enter critical information into the patient database directly, they eliminate a step in the data entry process, saving time and cutting down on the chance for error. Fletcher Allen also has patient data software that monitors the level of care—this data is accessible from any PC or mobile device with the right user identification.
"Fletcher Allen Healthcare joins the growing list of top-tier medical centers relying on Mobility XE as they 'go wireless' to improve patient safety and clinical efficiency," said Steve Cullen, CEO of NetMotion Wireless. "We're proud to provide software that is the key to making mobile computing practical, reliable and secure for healthcare settings."
About NetMotion Wireless Inc.
NetMotion Wireless is the developer of Mobility XE, an easily deployed, software-only mobile computing solution that enables mobile workers to get connected and stay connected to mission-critical applications over wireless networks. NetMotion Mobility XE enables mobile workers to operate as effectively on wireless networks as they do on wired ones—with secure, uninterrupted access to the same data and applications available on their desktop PCs. More than 500 leading organizations now use Mobility to eliminate the frustration and complexity of managing their mobile computing deployments. The company has won more than 20 awards, including Technology of the Year (Wireless Networking) from InfoWorld magazine, Business Product of the Year from the WSA, and Investors' Choice/Most Likely to Succeed at the Technologic Partners' Wireless Ventures conference. For more information about NetMotion Wireless or its products, please visit www.netmotionwireless.com, call (206) 691-5500, or write 701 N. 34th Street, Suite 250, Seattle, Wash. 98103.
