In every group there are few providers that are the trend setters when it comes to cool electronic gadgets and technology. Likely, there are several tech companies that are looking to leverage that thirst of technology “du jour”. Many providers are beginning to send patients home with devices already. This enables the caregivers to collect critical information on their chronic disease, or simply share critical data in real-time.
Many devices that have been showcased will give new meaning to patient monitoring. Recently, Jeff Immelt CEO of GE, showed how a handheld ultrasound device called Vscan “the stethoscope of the 21st century” enables patients to send frequent images to their care givers without leaving the office. Of course, there have been additional devices that are bound to reduce risks for patients with chronic disease, some of which are wireless vital signs monitoring devices. These tools will reduce the data entry time performed by the nurses, but also enable the physicians and caregivers to monitor remotely patient’s temperature, pulse-oximetry, blood glucose levels, electrocardiogram readings, respiratory and blood pressure level.
The good news is that many of these devices will be capable of exchanging information using a single set of standards. Through the collaboration of more than 200 healthcare and technology companies, Continua and the Integrating Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) announced last August 2009 that the new standards would consist of:
- Content will be based on HL7 v2.6 messages (IHE PCD-01)
- The Vocabulary – Constrained to IEEE/ISO 11073-20601/11073-104xx nomenclature
- The transportation of data will use Web Services transport based on WS-I Basic Profile
With these standardizations, integrating these devices with current and future EHR will be an easier task. By eliminating manual data entry and potential errors, clinical staff can better utilize their time to focus on patient care, and practices can find new ways to maximize the use of their existing or current technology investment.
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