Dr. Michael Docktor is the director of clinical mobile solutions at Boston Children’s Hospital. A gastroenterologist, he has served in the post one year. In one of his first big decisions in the role, he opted for TigerText as a communication tool. It’s a response to the convenience and immediacy of mobile communication, but harnessing it with HIPAA compliance.
After a pilot phase at the start of the year, including Docktor’s department, the hospital began to roll it out in May.
Although doctors and nurses are big users of the technology, other hospital staff members such as those in food service, housekeeping and the mail room, find the communication service useful because they can reach lots of people at once immediately.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
In a phone interview with MedCity News, Docktor talked about the frustration with the antiquated paging systems hospitals have used. That frustration is widely shared by medical staff who prefer to text because pager systems make workflows so painful — get beeped, make a call, inevitably miss the other party. That’s why hospitals are moving to adopt these new communication platforms.
“To me, text messaging is a perfectly natural form of communication,” Docktor said. “It is very much in our workflow.”
He points out that there’s a lot of accountability with TigerText. Users know when a message has been delivered and read. There’s also the usefulness of being able to send images, videos and other relevant patient information with HIPAA compliance.
Docktor said he and his team began looking at communication tools about a year ago. “The landscape is expanding exponentially,” Docktor said. “We vetted a couple, but TigerText has been very supportive and a great partner.”
He said it was continuing to work with them to develop some features for the future. Much like any relationship with a health IT vendor, Boston Children’s and other hospitals will benefit from insights other hospitals produce with TigerText.
Aside from Boston Children’s, at least two other pediatric hospitals have adopted TigerText, including Dell Children’s Medical Center and Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
Docktor’s next big challenge is to roll out a mobile friendly EHR platform from Cerner. The hospital begins piloting the service in small groups this summer.