This week I’ve been working on something slightly different that puts another spin on the omnipotent use of tablets and smart phones.

Nothing as exciting at the ubiqetious iphone6 launch, but something pretty impressive to me (as a newbie to healthcare and the NHS)

Look around you almost anywhere in public and you’ll see a wall of faces staring into electronic devices or tapping on tiny, shiny black touchscreens.

Now even medical teams will be doing the same, but in a way that’s good for your health.

Doctors and nurses at QE Gateshead will soon be using iPads and iPods instead of the traditional bedside paper observation charts at the hospital.

Over the next few months these new smart devices will be appearing on wards as part of an innovative project throughout the in-patient areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

The new system will help save time and provide more accurate, reliable patient records. It is hoped that better monitoring can lead to a wide range of benefits but ultimately improved care and less time in hospital for the patient.

The new devices will mean that healthcare staff can provide more accurate and detailed information to senior clinicians who will then have better data to make informed medical decisions. It also takes less time to record the observations in electronic format than having to write it out on paper.

The new electronic observation system is currently being rolled out to all adult in-patient areas of the hospital and should be complete by the end of November.

In the future the system will also be able to monitor new areas electronically including nutrition, infection risks, dementia assessment and alcohol screening. It will also automatically inform junior medical staff of any potential deterioration of a patient’s condition.

read more….