PowerClinical

Giving More Power to Health Professionals

PowerClinical in wireless technology research at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead

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2nd March 2007

In the next step of The Hospital’s landmark study into wireless technology, four Emergency Department clinical staff will be trialling handheld technology to make them more mobile and effective than ever.

These clinicians will be able to access patient records from anywhere in the Emergency Department, including the patient bedside.

Mobile, online, effective

DELL AXIM handheld computer In the bustling environment in Emergency, many interruptions are sure to occur to the clinician’s thought processes in between the bedside and a desktop computer. For example, having to write patient observations on paper for multiple patients and transcribing them later into a computer away from the bedside.

With a handheld computer in hand, clinician productivity will soar as double entry is eliminated and as well as possible transcription errors.

Shift handovers will be significantly improved by conducting them at the patient bedside instead of in an office. Important points are not missed as staff can scroll through the case notes during the handover. Newly arrived staff can associate the right patient’s and parents’ faces with the information that is on screen in front of them.

Better decisions, faster

Armed with critical patient information, clinicians can make better decisions faster, especially in the Emergency Department where it can really make a difference.

Sharing critical patient information

Patient observations are entered directly into the system, making the data immediately available to other staff.

The patient’s current location can be easily tracked, as patients are constantly being wheeled away for treatment or tests, sometimes returning to a different cubicle. The medical team never has to waste precious time looking for a lost patient.