‘Specially for Children: Creating a Completely Paperless Outpatient Facility with Motion Tablet PCs
The Background: A Special Kind of Care
For the staff at ‘Specially for Children, a pediatric sub-specialty group in Austin, state-of-the-art diagnosis, treatment, and clinical management of children and adolescents requires state-of-the-art technology. As the only pediatric sub-specialty facility in the region, ‘‘Specially for Children treats the most complicated of pediatric cases in the areas of endocrinology, infectious disease, neurology and more.
Treating their young patients with exceptional quality and care is ‘Specially for Children’s top priority. To do that, it employs the most skilled physicians and nurses and arms them with the most up-to-date technology.
The Challenge: Maintain the Data, Eliminate the Clutter, Strengthen the Bond
‘Specially for Children provides care to nearly 50,000 patients each year. As recently as December 2003, that meant physicians and nurses juggled 50,000 individual files with various tests, lab results, histories, and vitals – all crammed into individual cumbersome paper charts.
In the late 1990s, the concept of electronic medical records (EMR) took hold as the future of healthcare data entry, storage, and management. ‘Specially for Children recognized the benefits of a paperless healthcare facility and began to explore technologies available to improve their operation. The staff envisioned a more efficient – yet equally personal – treatment environment. They hoped to eliminate bulky paper charts that consumed significant time to maintain, so they could focus more energy on the children and their parents.
To that end, in 1999 ‘Specially for Children purchased and attempted to deploy a PDA-based wireless EMR, but the staff soon found PDAs were unable to hold large files and had limited functionality and input capability. Still, they were eager to make their vision of a wireless office reality.
The Solution: Better EMR Management with Motion Tablet PCs
Over the course of a month, the docs at ‘Specially for Children were given different tablet PCs to trial each week. Motion tablets were last in the line up. After a comprehensive and lengthy trial period, a committee of five physicians and two administrators voted unanimously to adopt Motion Computing tablet PCs. The board believed the Motion products offered the most powerful and practical tablet PCs available, providing a variety of cutting-edge features useful in the clinical environment.
Specifically, ‘Specially for Children chose the M1400 tablet for its lightweight, easy-to-carry and hold design; 12.1 inch View Anywhere® display; superior handwriting recognition capabilities; and its robust, familiar Windows XP Tablet PC operating system. The facility also deployed a Cisco Systems® wireless network and Intellidox®, an electronic medical record software application by Businet®.
‘Specially for Children armed 24 physicians with M1400 tablets beginning in January 2004. By using the Motion tablets and Intellidox® software, the staff can scan old charts, create new records in the Document Imaging Management System, and access those records anywhere from the wireless network. ‘Specially for Children plans on eliminating all paper documents from their office by October 2005.
The tablet PCs are now incorporated into each physician’s and nurse’s daily workflow, from patient appointments to staff meetings. Each morning, staff members pick up their tablets which have been queued up by nurses to display patient cases scheduled for the day. Software and wireless communication to the tablet informs physicians instantly when their patient has checked in and is waiting in the waiting room. Patient’s vitals and medical histories are safely stored, readily and easily accessible from the tablet. The tablet’s fingerprint reader ensures that only approved users can access patient records. Physicians can access and make changes to the patient’s chart, write prescriptions and send them directly to a pharmacy, and review growth charts and drug interactions – all without a single sheet of paper or phone call.
Real Results: Saving Lives, Time, and Money
“The parents of our patients are delighted to see their doctors using cutting-edge technology,” says Zachery Jiwa, ‘Specially for Children’s chief information officer. “Our commitment to the latest medical and administrative technologies builds confidence that their children are in good hands.”
When the staff began using Motion tablets in January 2004, each new patient received an electronic chart in place of the paper version. Electronic charts have since been put in place for former and recurring patients, replacing paper charts which cost up to $20 each to build, maintain, and store. With approximately 7,000 new patients visiting the clinic every year, the electronic charts will save ‘Specially for Children $130,000 to $180,000 annually.
In addition to cost savings, implementing Motion tablets and Intellidox® has freed valuable physician and clinician time. Before the technology upgrade, physicians either stayed late or took charts home to dictate their handwritten notes. Now physicians’ patient notes are input immediately and securely filed on the server, saving time and increasing crucial accuracy. ‘Specially for Children estimates that the staff collectively saves at least 65 hours each week. That time savings is best illustrated by the fact that SFC expects to see 2,500 new patients this year – without having to add significant staff.
“The tablet makes it possible for me to do more, in real-time. Our charts are more accurate, and almost impossible to lose since they’re electronic,” said Dr. Jeff Zwiener, MD, pediatric gastroenterology.
Dr. Zwiener went on to say, “our patients and their parents appreciate that we’ve brought technology into the exam room. Most patients are primarily concerned with what games we can get on the tablets, but their parents appreciate the opportunity to review X-rays, charts, lab results, or access information from the Internet to help them better understand a diagnosis or treatment. The end results is exactly what we were striving toward – improved care and positive outcomes.”
‘Specially for Children’s staff continues to rely on the features of the Motion tablet PCs that improve patient care. The organization recently purchased 11 LE1600 tablet PCs – Motion’s newest flagship product – for incoming staff members. With the demand for pediatric sub-specialty care on the rise, ‘Specially for Children’s increased capabilities means several more children will receive expert care for their essential health needs.
