Subscribe to RSSData#3 and Queensland Health work together to deliver better patient outcomes
Clinical Mobility Trial at Robina Hospital reduces administrative overhead, enabling doctors to increase the length and quality of time with patients.
BRISBANE, Australia — 16 October 2008, Thursday — Data#3 Limited [ASX: DTL], a national information and communications technology (ICT) company, in conjunction with Queensland Health recently announced initial results of the Clinical Mobility Trial at Robina Hospital.
The three month trial, an aspect of the Queensland Government’s eHealth Strategy, was initiated to identify how the use of Information Technology could improve clinical efficiency, effectiveness and safety in hospitals across Queensland.
Data#3 and Queensland Health worked with a number of suppliers to implement the trial in which almost 20 doctors used hospital grade tablet PCs to access clinical databases over a robust and secure wireless network. This enabled clinicians to access information critical to proper patient diagnosis – including test results – from anywhere, anytime during their rounds. With access to the information they needed at their fingertips, and the reduction in administrative overhead, doctors were able to spend more time with patients.
In his recent Ministerial media statement, Minister for Health, the Hon. Stephen Robertson said the use of Tablet PCs had potential benefits for patient safety and quality of care.
“Junior doctors and other clinicians are essentially mobile workers, so providing them with Tablet PCs they can take on their rounds will increase efficiency and deliver better outcomes for patients,” he said.
“Early results from the trial estimated that 30 to 60 minute savings per clinician per day is achievable, because doctors don’t have to walk away from patients to access and record information,” he explained.
“That’s good news for patient safety and quality of care, because it means clinicians spend more time treating people and less on administration,” he added.
Commenting on the success of the trial, Data#3’s Managing Director John Grant said “this illustrates the transformation potential that technology plays in both the public and private sector. With the challenges of an ageing, fast growing population, and skill shortages around the world demanding health organisations do more with less, technology plays a key role in ensuring organisations can scale to meet that demand.”
The key outcomes from the trial include:
- An increase in the frequency that doctors called on pathology and radiology results from standard clinical databases during rounds
- An increase in the length of time spent with patients, and therefore an increase in doctor-patient communication
- A reduction in the number of redundant tests ordered
- An increase in accuracy of result based consult sessions with patients
Ultimately, the project has provided evidence of the positive impact that technology can have in ensuring better patient outcomes. It is now being replicated in hospitals throughout Queensland.
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