Flagstaff Medical Center to Send Patients Home with Smartphones

Smartphones are amazing tools that can do amazing things to help people in need, but if the patient can’t afford one, or doesn’t see the need then it really doesn’t matter how great they are.  One hospital in Arizona is trying to overcome that stumbling block by sending patients home with all the technology they need.

Flagstaff Medical Center’s Care Beyond Walls and Wires initiative is designed to help patients in more rural areas receive the care they need without having to repeatedly come into the hospital.  Here are some of the highlights from the press release:

In collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated, through its Wireless ReachTM initiative, Zephyr Technology, Verizon Wireless, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Care Beyond Walls and Wiresuses advanced 3G wireless technology and health-monitoring devices to enhance the care of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) or other related conditions.

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Care Beyond Walls and Wires uses wireless broadband tools, such as smart phones and 3G technology, to allow in-home daily monitoring of patients with CHF. These tools will collect and transfer critical data, such as weight, blood pressure, activity and other important health indicators, to nurses at FMC who are following patients enrolled in the program. Information will be sent daily for three to six months after the patient’s discharge from the hospital. This daily exchange of information enables health care providers and patients to work together to manage CHF.

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According to the Federal government, 25 to 50 percent of CHF patients are rehospitalized within three to six months of a hospital discharge. The primary reasons for rehospitalization include patients not taking medications as prescribed, failure to follow a dietary plan, not knowing the early signs of CHF and lack of planned follow-up with a healthcare provider after leaving the hospital. Each of these factors can be addressed on a daily basis through Care Beyond Walls and Wires.
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Each monitoring kit includes: 3G-enabled Motorola Droid X2 smart phone, provided by Verizon Wireless, with a mobile application that allows patients to rapidly record and send information to FMC via a secure Internet portal; an oxygen and pulse monitor; blood pressure cuff; and weight scale. Additional items in the kit may include an advanced Zephyr health-monitoring system to measure other vital signs such as breathing rate, skin temperature, activity and posture.
While I really like the idea, and I personally am a fan of technology in any form, I am not sure how effective this will be.  It said in the article that one of the main problems patients have is taking their medication properly and failure to follow recovery plans.  If people are unable or unwilling to do those simple things, how likely are they to use all of this new equipment, or enter the data and send it to the doctor.
It seems to me that the people who are most likely to benefit from technology like this are people who already do what they are supposed to do, but are willing to put forth more effort to take their care to the next level.  That being said, if it helps to save any lives then the effort is definitely worth it.
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December 20, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: Android  Gadgets  Health Care  Healthcare IT  Medical Devices  mHealth  Mobile Health Care  Smart Phones
Tags:Care Beyond Walls and Wires  Congestive Heart Failure Recovery  Flagstaff Medical Center  Home Health Monitoring  Motorola Droid X2  National Institutes of Health  Qualcomm Incorporated      Wireless Health Monitoring Devices  Wireless Reach Initiative  Zephyr Technology

New Verizon Casio Android Smartphone Ruggedized for Hospital Use

Most people are probably a lot like me in that they are pretty rough on their cell phones.  If you are looking for a phone that can handle the abuse that you generally give your phone, Casio has come out with a new phone in conjuction with Verizon Wireless that completely blows my mind.

The G’zOne Commando conforms to the rugged MIL-STD-810G military standard for durability as it was designed for people who work in hospitals, construction, and other more trying environments, but that is just the start.

It has 1mm-thick tough glass and bumper edges allowing the unit to withstand some drops.  It can also survive temperature extremes ranging from 185 degrees to -13 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 96 hours.  Obviously a little more extreme than what most people have to endure on a regular basis, but it is nice to know you will never even get close to hurting it.

The device can also handle environmental conditions such as heavy dust, salt fog, solar radiation, shock, humidity, vibrations, and liquid immersion.  So essentially what they are saying is it can handle just about anything you could even think to throw at it.

Just in case you actually intend to use your phone and not just abuse it, there are a ton of great features it has in terms of operability.

Security features provided through Microsoft’s EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) allow users to encrypt data in transit, remotely wipe information, enable device inactivity timeout and set password complexity.  It also allows workers to access inventories and capture signatures.

The device runs the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and operates on Verizon’s 3G/EV-DO network. Much like other new smart phones, it serves as a WiFi hotspot for other devices, but it does not function on the 4G network at this point.

It has eight different operating modes, including Earth Compass and Walking Counter, which tracks steps, distance and energy consumption.  Trip Memory allows users to keep track of outdoor activities and share the information with contacts on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The unit weighs 5.4 ounces, measures 5.1 by 2.6 by 0.6 inches and features a 3.6-inch WVGA display. It also features XT9 and T9 trace input for efficient typing.  If you have never used it before it does take a little time to get used to it, but is pretty cool once you do.

In addition, G’zGear software allows users to navigate outdoor environments, while using Triple Sensor technology to keep track of direction, acceleration and temperature.

The G’zOne also incorporates a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash and video capture. Plus, it comes with 1GB of flash memory and 512MB of RAM.

The G’zOne Commando retails at about the same price as other comparable smart phones, and it is available for purchase as of last week.

Other leaders in rugged mobile devices for harsh environments include Motorola, Motion Computing, and Samsung.

If you are looking for a tablet that can take a little more of a beating than the iPad, Motion Computing has announced its rugged CL900 tablet for verticals such as health care and retail, and T-Mobile carries the rugged Motorola Defy Android smartphone on its network. The Defy’s 3.7-inch touch screen is resistant to water and scratches.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s line of rugged Rugby phones on AT&T are also marketed to verticals in tough working environments. The Rugby II is a 3G two-way push-to-talk device suitable for extreme temperatures, shock and vibration.

Obviously this phone, if you are okay with only calling it a phone, is a lot more than most people need, but if you have ever had to deal with a shattered screen, water damage, or any of the other damage we do to our phones, it may be worth it to buy something that can handle a little more than most phones.

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May 8, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: Android  Health Care  Healthcare IT  mHealth  Mobile Health Care  Smart Phones  Tablets
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