High Tech & High Touch Point of Care: How to Improve POC with Touchscreen Tablets
Posted on September 14, 2011 in Featured-writers Newswire
by David Tapia, MBA & Mindy Pillow
On September 22, 2011 (11AM-12PM CDT), join home health technology experts David Tapia, MBA and Mindy Pillow as they explore how to improve point of care with touchscreen tablets. Register for this essential webinar now at www.kinnser.com/TabletWebinar. In the meantime, here's a preview as Home Healthcare Reports & Resources interviews the presenters.
Home Healthcare Reports & Resources (HHRR): Home health professionals are hearing a lot about touchscreen tablets at point of care. Everybody's asking about them. Why is there this sudden focus on touchscreen tablets?
David Tapia: With recent legislation like the ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act) and "meaningful use," EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) have been brought to the forefront. Everyone who's considering some kind of EMR/ EHR has to consider, "What kind of tools are we going to use at point of care?" And I think tablets then come up as something very affordable and user-friendly. They have pretty competitive price points compared to the other devices you could consider for your software. And so people are really rethinking the whole patient encounter... the whole thing. "How do we make it more efficient and effective?" And tablets are appealing. They've got a lot of great qualities that make them a viable solution for most health care providers.
HHRR: What are those qualities?
David Tapia: The portability of the device. And the price point is very competitive, and getting lower. So, very popular devices like the Galaxy and the iPad have become even more appealing over time. And just the actual physical characteristics, you know... tablets are easier to sanitize and easy to clean.
HHRR: Interesting. I hadn't thought about tablets being easy to clean. Makes sense... no keyboard.
David Tapia: Yeah. Sanitizing a tablet versus a notebook or laptop is far easier. So, I think you gain real efficiency at point of care from its portability and its ease of repeated use.
HHRR: So... EHR legislation and the introduction of this technology converged, and that brought tablets into home health?
David Tapia: Exactly. And you wouldn't have seen this kind of explosion with tablets in the health care sector if it weren't for that legislation. It's getting people to explore different ways of delivering health care.
HHRR: David & Mindy, tell me about the webinar that you have planned for September 22nd. What are you planning to cover?
Mindy Pillow: We'll provide tips on how agencies can get the most value out of tablets. We're going to look at how people are using them, and how effective they are in home health. And we'll give interesting examples of how to use them in some ways that a lot of professionals may not have even thought of yet.
HHRR: That sounds great. Who should consider registering for your webinar?
David Tapia: Just about everyone in home health who is interested in this topic will find the content of value. But especially, folks who are shopping around for software... and folks who already have software, but are maybe not fully implementing it at point of care. People who are on the fence about tablets also should attend.
Mindy Pillow: I think the people who really need to attend are those who are already using some kind of Web-based software because they need to be sure that their solution is compatible with tablets. Not all home health software solutions are compatible.
David Tapia: That's right. One of the things I say in my presentations is, "Make sure your software is compatible with the device because there are many software companies that have their own devices, and you can't use them universally. One of the really great competitive advantages that Kinnser Software has is that people can use the device of their choice. You just login from whatever device you'd like. That's a great point, Mindy - compatibility.
HHRR: Do touchscreen tablets change the way clinicians and patients interact?
David Tapia: They do. And it's great that you've asked that question because a lot of folks have told me, "We don't want to take a laptop into the home. Patients don't like it. They don't like it when we look at that thing." My background is in anthropology, so I really look at our culture and how people interpret things. What you're doing with a laptop or notebook is you're creating kind of a division - with the screen between you and the patient. It's almost like a small barrier. That automatically looks a little bit sterile and distant... a little bit "hands-off" and disconnected. But with a tablet, it's like a legal pad or clipboard, and patients are more amenable to that. They think, "Oh, this person is listening to me. Her attention is on me, and she's documenting what I'm telling her." It's less of a separation. What we're talking about is really patient perception. With a tablet, patient perception is much better. It's a less intrusive device, and it breaks down that laptop barrier. With an iPad or Galaxy or similar tablet, the body language is very different.
Mindy Pillow: You're right, David. And some clinicians really take full advantage of the touchscreen tablet, and take it to the next level... like for music therapy or additional therapies with the patient. Those clinicians break down the barriers even more.
David Tapia: Yes. I know some therapists who have even developed apps for the iPad, and they've gotten great results.
Mindy Pillow: The innovative ways clinicians are using tablets are among the juicy things we'll be covering in the webinar. You can actually use these devices for therapy while you're documenting.
HHRR: Is there much of a learning curve to get up to speed with a tablet?
David Tapia: We are working with a multi-generational workforce. For professionals without a lot of computer knowledge, laptops and notebooks can be intimidating. But tablets are set up to be so user-friendly... with icons... with simply touching to select what you want. I think tablets lessen the learning curve.
Mindy Pillow: Yes, and some agencies have been able to cut down on IT costs just by using tablets because there's not as much technical support and education needed. Some tablets require more of a learning curve than others, but most you just pick up and start touching, and you're on your way.
HHRR: What will people learn from your webinar?
David Tapia: We want them to be more educated in the process of selecting tablets. Our goal is to empower home health professionals with knowledge. So, when they're looking at tablets to use with their software, they'll have the confidence to ask the right questions of the products and to know the specifications they really need.
©2011 PPS Plus Software. All rights reserved.
About the Presenters:
David Tapia, MBA is a Managing Partner at Exegete Healthcare International LLC, a firm providing support services to healthcare providers. David has extensive experience in providing support services such as strategic planning, promotional marketing, process improvement and Information Technology (IT) services. He currently serves as a Project Manager for Electronic Medical Record (EMR) implementation and training initiatives for healthcare providers throughout the nation.
Mindy Pillow is the Home Health Blog Editor for Kinnser Software, Inc. She investigates emerging trends in innovative technology and translates this information into practical tips for home health industry professionals.
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