More physicians are going mobile, and iPhones and iPads are the devices of choice, with more than 68 percent of doctors preferring Apple technology over Android.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 59.3 percent of all primary care physicians’ daily emails are for the interpretation of test results, while 21.7 percent are responses to patients. Nevertheless, the use of email generally increases the risk for doctors and their patients as most email services are not HIPAA compliant.
Another study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), reports that researchers from the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston conducted a survey of primary care practitioners and found that a third were missing alerts about test results from an electronic health record notification system designed to inform them when a patient has abnormal test results.
But new solutions, like the approved Apple® enterprise mobile application offered by Health Gorilla, an online healthcare marketplace connecting doctors and clinicians with diagnostic labs and radiology centers, allow physicians to use their mobile devices more safely and effectively.
Using Health Gorilla mobile, physicians can place electronic orders to diagnostic labs, radiology centers, physical therapy facilities, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), durable medical equipment (DME) providers, and other medical providers nationwide with the ability to track and review the results immediately. Physicians can then forward electronic results within their practice or exchange them with peers and patients to streamline the process and improve quality of care. This kind of app has the potential to be a game changer as doctors increasingly use iPhones and iPads to communicate with peers and patients.
Mobile integrated messaging, like the application offered by Health Gorilla, greatly reduces the risk in communication between a doctor and his or her patients by offering a fully HIPAA compliant environment. The technology also enables a physician to securely and compliantly forward diagnostic test results, radiology images, admission and discharge summaries, and other clinical documents to patients and care coordinators through secure messaging.
Other benefits include:
- HIPAA compliant and ONC modular certified MU2 solution
- Order in less time than it takes to use fax forms
- Receive results faster, regardless of location
- Forward results to patients instantly
- Immediately refer results to another doctor and send messages
- Eliminate error prone paper processes
“We believe that the value proposition is clear and compelling for doctors and their teams,” says Steve Yaskin, Chief Executive Officer of Health Gorilla.
One thing appears certain: Mobile is here to stay.
