Going Mobile
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally, and are not necessarily representative of Texas Health Resources (THR) or its subsidiaries.
"I'm going home, and when I want to go home, I'm going mobile. ... Keep me moving...Out in the woods, or in the city, it's all the same to me. When I am driving free, the world's my home. When I'm mobile."
Going Mobile, by The Who, 1971, Who's Next, triple-platinum album.
Remember the day you bought your first automobile? Mine was a '73 green Chevy Vega with a six-cylinder aluminum block -- not exactly a dream car, but she kept me moving. The above lyrics speak to the freedom and liberty attached to owning your personal set of wheels. Like a bird released from his cage, I remember cruisin' town while cranking that song on my cassette deck. Ahh, those were the days...
Today, a similar concept of autonomy manifests in mobile computing. I recall, not too long ago, networking at social gatherings and realizing I needed access to my e-mail, but my computer was all the way back home, plugged into a wall outlet. Thanks to ongoing advancements in technology, a Blackberry Storm now rides on my belt, putting e-mail, the Internet and other info right at my fingertips, literally.
According to emarketer, 59.5 million Americans used their smartphones to access the Internet in 2008, and the researchers expect this number to climb to 134.3 million in 2013. That's one in every three people using mobile tools!
Has health care fully capitalized on this technological revolution? While the nearsighted would say yes, or worse -- who cares? -- the visionary battles against the restraints of tradition and skepticism. For the sake of our customers who are demanding access, we've got to drive mobile computing in or lose pace with society.
No institution wants to fall behind, especially once we start navigating the new highways and byways constructed by health care reform (Medical Home, Accountable Care Organizations, etc). An organization must intentionally merge its mobile-computing strategy with the hospital strategic plan. Failure to act will run the risk of getting lost on the backwoods roads and putting the organization at a serious disadvantage.
Mobile computing provides a platform through which we can influence quality care, patient safety, and financial results. We call our mobile computing strategy mHealth. Although I cannot divulge this strategy or share specifics, one well-publicized example has to do with our OB/GYN physicians and the iPhone application Airstrip OB. This mobile solution had a notable impact on clinical care and physician satisfaction. You can find other examples from forward-thinking health care organizations -- sales force automation, intelligent devices, personal health records, patient registration, electronic health records, etc. Today, the iPhone alone carries thousands of healthcare-oriented apps. Some are trial balloons while others hold promise.
Other related strategies include connected health (cHealth), which I will define in a future post. Health Information Exchange, mHealth, and cHealth are all linked -- a trifecta with potent force for the successful health care organization of the future. Accessing information anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anyapp, anymedia, anydevice, anyperson. And these are just the beginning.
The sage CIO is already engaged.
Editor's note: Mr. Marx encourages your interaction through this blog. (Use the "add a comment" function at the bottom of each post.) You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook, and you can follow him via Twitter - User Name "marxists."
Special note: Mr. Marx will be keynoting HIMSS' "Takin' HIT to the Streets" program in Dallas on Dec. 4, 2009. In his address, titled "Bias for Action...CIO Mandate to Lead in the HITECH World," Ed will explain that while the details of HITECH are still in process, foundational principles are established. CIOs must break through institutional reluctance to ensure organizational preparedness and success.
You can register for the event by clicking http://www.himss.org/hitstreet/register.asp.