This post is sponsored by Sprint and is the seventh article in a 12-part series on mobilizing healthcare for improved communication.
Charging racks – where users can charge their mobile devices – and shared computers have a place in the healthcare setting.1 But there are very few available today that have all the key components hospitals need: security, feasibility and flexibility.1
Among the common problems with charging racks in the healthcare setting are:
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- Standardization – The charging rack should fit many types of devices.
- Space – With real estate at a premium in hospitals, charging racks sometimes end up in closets, or even shower stalls.2
It’s tough to get reliability, flexibility and security in a single charging rack – hospital administrators often settle for two of the three.2
Here’s more on the top problems with charging racks and docking stations in healthcare settings:
Design
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When it comes to choosing charging racks, hospital administrators are forced to answer the questions: Where can we put these devices? How do we secure them?1 Because you don’t want physicians dealing with wires and slots, drop-and-stand charging stations have traditionally been the most well received.1
But this brings about its own challenges, because it ties the hospital to a specific device or device type or size.1 The whole selection – from the device to its case – must be done as a package.1
Another design issue: Many standard charging racks aren’t suitable for healthcare environments because they are secured with keys.1 Due to high turnover among staff – even in a single day – it would be logistically difficult to use a key.1
Security
When choosing charging racks and shared computers, healthcare facilities have to walk the line between security3 and usability.1 For instance, it might be most secure to lock the device every 30 seconds without use and force users to enter a password.1
But that security decision would make usability an issue for users, many of whom might end up changing their password so often they need to write it down.1 Yet while hospitals might be concerned about security breaches, most of this comes down to the responsibility of the clinicians – who are very used to the security aspect of data.1
Mobility
When it comes to shared computers, the main issue is mobility.2 Physicians have to get to the computer in order to get information from it.2
The ideal situation would be to replace that stationary device with a mobile device with the same capabilities – a device that can be kept in a doctor’s coat pocket.2
Germs
Many hospitals have considered cleaning policies that treat charging racks and shared computers as medical devices, as opposed to technical equipment.1 For the purposes of cleaning, mobile phones in the healthcare setting are considered medical devices.1 They are subject to the same wipe-down policies as traditional medical equipment to ensure disease isn’t spread4 through their use.1
Just as technology in the healthcare space is evolving, so too are the issues associated with bringing charging racks and shared computers into a medical setting.1
Read the earlier articles in this series:
The value of communication coordination among the care team
What are the best ways to handle care transitions?
The communication pitfalls of multidisciplinary approaches to treating patient
The five worst things about being a doctor (from a tech perspective)
5 best smartphone advances for doctors in the past 5 years
The pros and cons of BYOD (bring your own device)
1. James Webb, Mobile Heartbeat’s vice president of strategic accounts, granted permission for all of his direct and indirect quotes to be used in this article. Interview date: Feb. 5, 2015.
2. Jamie Brasseal, Mobile Heartbeat’s vice president of sales and marketing, granted permission for all of his direct and indirect quotes to be used in this article. Interview date: Feb. 5, 2015.
3. “Protecting Patient Privacy and Data Security,” http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1215258, March 6, 2015.
4. “Infection Research for Computer Keyboards and Input Devices,” http://www.sealshield.com/White_Papers/infections_computer_keyboards.pdf, March 6, 2015.
