Cool Technology of the Week

This week's cool technology is not about any specific hardware or software, but is about a trend.

Mobile technology for healthcare is fast replacing desktops and laptops in many settings.

As of this morning, there are 1600 iPhones and 300 iPads connected to the BIDMC network, using our administrative and clinical applications.   These were all purchased by individual clinicians and staff to enhance their productivity.   All we do centrally is provide the server components to access applications (web servers, citric, active synch) and enforce mobile device security polices.

Mobile devices for healthcare are becoming increasingly important at the bedside, in the home, and in hostile environments.

Here's a YouTube video illustrating how the Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) handheld is used to record patient encounters on the battlefield.

Given the increasing prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the military due to powerful explosive devices the Army is using handhelds to track and treat personnel with TBI.

The Army is piloting iPads/iPhones/iPods, Android devices, and Windows Smartphones for training.

There's speculation that the military may issue a smartphone to ever solider.

Some IT leaders consider mobile computing to be a burden and distraction - a wild west of client devices brought in by customers demanding new services.   The reality is that CIOs should develop a mobile device strategy assuming that tablets, smartphones and laptops will replace desktops in many settings.  By defining security policies and providing server side applications, IT organizations can become mobile device enablers and leverage the momentum created by users who are investing their own time and resources to make them work.

Mobile devices purchased and supported by users, connected to standardized central services.   That's cool!