Real Mobile Health Care Computing! Needs some “blinds” I think… anyone up for a Medical Theme? Just kidding. This is a great computing development, since it allows a great deal of information to be available as well as real time interaction between consultants and the care giver at the point of care. Everyone profits. How many times I wish I had one of these – even for the simple weekend phone call.
With the iPad, and even before its advent, tablets have aided the medical field, but to a far more limited extent.
Recently, Motion Computing announced that its clinically oriented C5 tablet PC has been upgraded with a solid-state drive (SSD). It also includes integrated mobile broadband that extends its usability to the point of care, regardless of patient location! You do need wifi access, though, or access to the net.
scanning a bar code photographing a finding and docking
With C5’s optional integrated mobile broadband, mobile doctors and nurses can improve productivity by accessing important patient information including digital images and patient history details.
Those in home healthcare could benefit from the improved connectivity since it will enable users to collaborate better with treating clinicians and thus reduce travel. The immediate transfer of documentation after every patient visit could reduce processing delays, and the SSD could help protect the C5 from occasional bumps and general wear.
In addition to the new SSD drive, they pack an 80 GB HDD as well to cut back on pauses to upload.
Other developments that help clinicians in the field, are the birth of the cell phone microscope, the development of technology for transmitting medical images via cellular phones and the development of technology that may enable cheaper, faster, and more accurate three-dimensional imaging.
More info can be found here: http://www.motioncomputing.com/products/tablet_pc_c5.asp