Becker's Hospital Review

16 Executive Briefing Interoperability, by contrast, describes the ability for different IT and software systems — for example, an EHR and a remote patient monitoring solution — to exchange and use data. Interoperability is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities facing healthcare today. Driven in large part by poor interoperability standards across vendors, disparate systems today struggle to share information, hindering providers' ability to observe a full picture of patients' health. Using technology systems that support both mobility and interoperability, a physician could access patient information from a variety of data sources anytime and anywhere to make care decisions. Yet today's physicians are often only able to view data held in their hospital's own EHR, which is accessed through a desktop computer. How connectivity accelerates patient care delivery Implementing secure mobile technology that offers physicians the opportunity to connect to patient charts as needed not only improves staff productivity, but also strengthens patient outcomes through earlier clinical interventions and better care management. In recent years, physicians have voiced frustration with EHRs, citing the technology as detracting from face-to-face patient care. However, Mr. Yelverton suggests that with an enhanced focus on integration and mobility, EHRs will become a data management asset to practicing physicians. "The EHR is the expected point of confluence for all of those different data streams," he says. These data streams span a range of patient interactions, especially as services such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring and home care continue to grow in popularity. For example, 59 percent of patients who used telemedicine in the past planned to increase their usage of remote visits throughout 2017, according to a July survey by the trade group Health Industry Distributors Association. Incorporating data from various care settings informs physicians about their patients' care, particularly when managing patients with complex, chronic conditions. A physician looking to help his or her patient control hypertension, for instance, could monitor the patient's dietary, exercise and blood pressure data, among other variables, to customize targeted care plans and identify opportunities for intervention. "Theoretically, the more information a provider has about a patient and his or her medical needs, the better we can provide care for that particular patient," Mr. Yelverton says. "[There's] a wealth of information that can more accurately inform chronic disease management, from resource allocation to how effectively we can deliver therapies personalized for the patient." "But, we have to consider how the information in these platforms is made available to medical professionals and administrators," he adds. The future: Endpoint devices provide a new frontier for EHR access The majority of healthcare leaders — 60 percent — cited EHR mobility as one of the top clinical capabilities they want from smartphones, according to a KLAS Research survey released in January. As physicians become increasingly mobile, conveniently accessing medical information on available technology has become paramount. As an example of this technology, Mr. Yelverton pointed to Lenovo's Edge devices, a series of portable notebook computers and tablets. "The principal focus in Edge devices is connectivity — always on, always connected," he says. However, for Mr. Yelverton, it's not just about making personal computers or laptops more portable but acknowledging phones and tablets are increasingly more capable — in some cases exceeding the computing capabilities of desktop devices. For hospital leaders concerned with physician satisfaction, these growing demands reflect the blurring of lines between healthcare and consumer technology — an increasingly common occurrence, according to Mr. Yelverton. "The elements that are significant for the endpoint devices in healthcare are also beginning to merge over into the consumer space as well, like commercial-grade security," he explains. "It begins to really blur the line between the devices that are built for healthcare and … those which a provider might use every day outside of the hospital." Conclusion EHR adoption across the U.S. has been staggering in recent years, with nearly 100 percent of providers live on the software. However, as physicians continue to voice frustrations with the lack of mobility on these IT solutions, hospital leaders must consider new ways to address staff satisfaction. Mobile endpoint devices offer one powerful solution by connecting physicians to patient charts through familiar technology — all at a moment's notice. n

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