Smartphones Deployed to Help Improve Safety and Accuracy

Riverside Healthcare is deploying smartphones to bedside nurses within the Riverside Medical Center to enhance patient care.

“The idea of hand-held devices to be used by bedside nurses was brought forward by staff at an in-house, think-tank event,” said Kathy O’Grady, Riverside’s vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer. “We recognized the advantages this type of tool could have not only for our staff but also our patients and are looking forward to roll this out to our in-patient units.”

These specialized smartphones will be equipped with apps, such as EPIC Rover, to give health care team member the ability review charts and complete documentation on the go. This helps nurses work more efficiently and helps to improve safety and accuracy, O’Grady said.

Care team members can also use these smartphones to access patient education resources to help provide more information about treatment options, such as information on a new medication.

Other applications that will be loaded onto the specialized smartphones include:

• Informacast – which allows Riverside employees to receive emergency alerts
• Lippincott Procedures – which is the evidence based source of truth for nursing practice
• Messaging & Phone – which allows Riverside employees to communicate with other departments and your providers during your stay at Riverside Medical Center

The secure smartphones that are being used by staff in the inpatient setting may resemble personal cell phones, but are only for use inside the Riverside Medical Center, and are not personal devices, O’Grady said.