CHIME case study: Tablets improve data access, care coordination

Equipping caregivers with tablet computers can spur improved access to health information and promote overall better care coordination, according to a case study published by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

Sutter Care at Home, an affiliate of Sutter Health, a Sacramento, Calif.-based not-for-profit healthcare organization, transitioned from laptops and smartphones to tablets in 2012. 

Sutter Care equipped more than 1,300 home care nurses with the device, which offered access to the Internet and provided email communication with fellow mobile caregivers.

This led to significant improvements in care coordination. For example, access to email gave caregivers the ability to view scanned documents, which previously had to be faxed and physically retrieved. The standard time to complete documentation currently is 24 hours, down from 72 hours before use of the tablets, according to the case study.

The tablets also improved wound care, as home care nurses are able to use a tablet’s built-in camera to take pictures of wounds and send the photos securely to the office for inclusion in the patient’s EMR, where it can be retrieved by a specialist. The tablets also allow clinicians to directly order medical supplies.

Challenges noted in the case study included time investment in training a mobile workforce and keeping up with the latest versions.

The case study can be accessed here.