Healthcare Tablet Computing

Motion Computing is an industry leader in the tablet computing marketplace. They were founded back in 2001 and have helped to develop the marketplace for tablet computing in Industrial Environments. They specialize in 8 main areas including: Healthcare, Field Service, Government, Construction, Manufacturing, Point of Sale, Hospitality, and Education.

The Texas based company has had a good relationship with the healthcare industry and has helped to develop the current tablet infrastructure and over the last decade has become the go to company for healthcare tablet options. I work for Johns Hopkins University and the use of tablets in my environments is very light. On the contrary within the Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI) tablets have been used for many purposes. Motion computing units were seen throughout the environment when I made visits to Hopkins Medicine, and were used for not only data entry but also to interface with many different types of medical equipment.




















The above examples of the screen captures from the Motion site show some of their latest creations for the healthcare environment. The C5 is a ruggedized tablet that is carried above by the healthcare worker that can use it to replace paper and pen based charts that are used for recording information. The MCW is the upright computer work station (cart) that interfaces with the C5 and other equipment.

The workflow for these two products would allow for a worker to take the tablet to a bedside, record all of the necessary vital signs and information from a particular patient and then wirelessly send that information to the EPR (electronic patient records) that are used in the healthcare environment. This digital workflow allows for more accurate patient record keeping and faster response times when performing these tasks. Historically workers had to record all this information by hand, then transcribe it to a computer via a keyboard and mouse and the hospital or other healthcare provider was responsible for keeping cabinets and cabinets full of paper for years to ensure all the records were available.

Motion also utilizes its own backend EPR systems to interface with their hardware solutions. This approach with an encompassing solution to provide the front end (hardware and software) and backend (EPR databases and servers) allows them to be a very attractive solution in healthcare.

I have used motion tablets and found them to be very reliable. My last experience was with a 3 year old unit. Personally I was concerned with how sturdy the tablets would be when used in a fast paced hospital. What would happen if they fell or were dropped or submerged in fluids? Motion answered that when they introduced ruggedized units that withstand drops and falls and are water resistant. This has allowed them to be used not only in local healthcare, but also around the world in numerous installations.

Look at this link for information about the various partnerships Motion has been able to establish with current healthcare service providers.

Motion computing products are not the only solution in the healthcare tablet marketplace, they just happen to be the current industry leader. As time moves on other partners will be able to come into the fray as well. The next entry will look in further detail at the push that local and national agencies are providing to tablet computing and other computing products in the healthcare industry.

The choice to cover tablet computing was very easy for me. I have always had a very interesting relationship with the tablet computing form factor since college (~2000). Since that time the tablet form factor has changed significantly.

The first tablet I ever experienced was an HP convertible (convertertible because it could be setup like a traditional laptop and then folded / contorted to appear like a screen only tablet as well) very similar to the one pictured here. This machine was given to students studying mechanical engineering at MIT so that they were able to better design elements of their engines for an applied project. At that time I was able to use tablets that friends obtained through the project, but often the issues I encountered then back in 2000 continue today. Those issues are: speed, performance, interface, and reliability. I wanted the table to be more than it was able to be back then. I tried the pen interface and handwriting recognition, but often got frustrated with its ability to discern what I wrote effectively. Also the necessity of carrying and using both a pen and a keyboard got frustrating for me as well. So soon after using the full laptop tablets I resorted to the PDA devices that were much more common at the time.

Moving forward 5 - 6 years, my experience with computers expanded as did the tablet computing options. At this time the idea of UMPC, or the Ultra Mobile PC, became very prevalent. I researched this topic for a paper written while at Johns Hopkins University that I will post excerpts from later in PDF format to the blog that will show how the early UMPC's were nothing more than smaller tablet PCs. The UMPC was to be the next big thing in computing, but unfortunately it never took off. It never gained the foothold in the industry needed to garner support and widespread distribution. One website, UMPC Portal, still operates and is able to offer those interested in UMPCs information and places where they can be purchased and upgraded.

Currently tablet computing is really big. It seems to get larger daily and with the recent introduction of the iPad from Apple it will only get larger. A quick Google search revealed 7.2 Million entries for tablet computing when searched and the iPad was the first device mentioned.

So here is where the real question gets asked. Why Healthcare Tablet Computing? Well the answer to that is not that simple. The Healthcare industry as a whole is in a great transition currently. When looking at what has just happened in Washington concerning Healthcare reform, much more integration of technology is required for the future. Tablets and other devices will play a large role in this transition and I felt that this topic should be covered in much more detail than it is currently.

This blog will examine the current trends in healthcare computing related to tablets, and what the future could and should be.