While EMRs and mobile health (mHealth) have been setting the trend within the healthcare industry, the concept of mobile care still appeases most entrepreneurs and health enthusiasts. Proponents argue that mobile care is still the best solution for geographically secluded and remote access locations. With the development of health information technology, mobile care clinics are increasingly becoming a viable option.
The idea of mobile care is to deliver care to patients at their home or at a conveniently accessible location. By incorporating the principles of telemedicine, physicians can be engaged remotely to instruct a trained nurse at the point of care. With the proper devices and staff, such mobile clinics can provide quality care to most ambulatory patients.
’We understand the dynamics of mobile care. While the idea would have not been sustainable 20-30 years ago, today it is possible. There is an influx of portable medical devices and health information has been made more accessible through electronic medical records,’ explains one industry expert.
Health IT is opening new doors for patient care. Interoperable EMR solutions and medical devices are enabling physicians to coordinate and deliver better care. Similarly, it allows patient interaction within the care process. While healthcare reforms have allowed care delivery to become more accessible, there are still those cannot benefit directly from these changes.
Center for Technology and Aging (CTA) is an independent non-profit organization working to help those isolated due to geographic and social barriers. Their most recent project required them to work with aged members of an underprivileged Cambodian-American community. CTA was able to provide medication therapy to those in need by using a group of trained pharmacists and community health workers. These workers were able to connect with a physician from the point of care using video conferencing amongst other various telemedicine techniques. CTA was able to improve therapy outcomes by nearly 24% along with medicinal adherence amongst patients.
Mobile care is the answer for such communities.
’Not everyone can use smart phones and healthcare apps. These people have not been exposed to the same technology. They are not comfortable with it. If you believe education and exposure is the answer, then commit to that,’ explains a social worker.
By Frank Quinn
Over the past twenty years Frank Quinn has contributed significantly on standardizing, interconnecting and institutionalizing care delivery through health IT, helping eliminate barriers to access, quality and adoption. EMR, practice management, eRx, patient portal, revenue cycle management, compliance, privacy and security are his areas of expertise. For more information, contact Frank Quinn at frank.quin@curemd.comVisit website | More posts by Author
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