Electronic Health Reporter

Guest post by Joyce Mullen, vice president and general manager, Dell OEM Solutions.

Technology is rapidly transforming the healthcare industry and the way we approach patient care, as organizations adopt the latest solutions in mobility, data analytics, Internet of Things and cloud computing. From telemedicine to wearables to 3D printing to alternative communication techniques, this is truly the golden age of healthcare innovation.

Through our OEM Solutions group, we are proud to be providing the underlying technology and services that enable so many inspirational companies make a real difference in people’s lives through healthcare innovations. Two examples I am really excited about are HealthSpot, which is developing a network of private kiosks equipped with two-way, high-def video screens enabling patients to interact directly with remote physicians; and Prentke Romich, which created a revolutionary device that helps people with disabilities communicate effectively. Rooted in these innovations is IT and the need for security, efficiency and reliability.

Connecting patients with physicians … virtually

We all know that visiting the emergency room for a health issue can be a frustrating experience, with long waits and impersonal service being the norm. But HealthSpot, an Ohio-based telehealth company founded in 2010, is offering a convenient and game-changing alternative. The company has introduced the HealthSpot station, a freestanding private kiosk equipped with a two-way, high-def video screen enabling patients to interact directly with remote physicians. Patients inside the station can be weighed on a built-in scale and use a thermometer, otoscope, magnascope, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope or other medical devices, with information and images transmitted electronically and securely to the physician. Physicians can then make a diagnosis and write prescription on the spot.

So far HealthSpot has installed stations in urgent-care facilities and hospitals, along with four test markets in retail pharmacies in Ohio and are expanding rapidly. As the company continues to scale, Dell is working with them to build a well-integrated IT infrastructure that includes hardware, software and services. Plans include more than 10,000 stations across the U.S. in the next few years, so be on the lookout for a HealthSpot station near you.

Developing language through technology

Prentke Romich Company (PRC) is the worldwide leader in the development of assistive technology and augmentative communication (AAC) solutions for people with severe disabilities. The company is committed to helping individuals achieve their greatest potential by delivering intuitive communication solutions that are focused on language development.

When PRC wanted to introduce a Windows- and tablet-based AAC solution, it faced a critical challenge: finding the right technology. Children with disabilities already face perceptions and bias, and they don’t want assistive technology that makes them look even more different. In a world of iPads and other sleek devices, their products needed to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. The product also needed to be responsive and high performing enough to handle PRC’s Unity language system.

Using Dell’s Latitude 10 Windows tablet as the base technology, PRC clients now have a powerful assistive device — the Accent 1000 — at their fingertips, so they can easily communicate with their friends and family, teachers, and physicians by typing or using voice technology. The highly responsive assistive devices allow people with disabilities to clearly express themselves. And with many of PRC’s clients being nonverbal, they can use the device to learn language and speak in a more natural way. PRC is able to support its mission of helping people through technology by working with Dell OEM Solutions and relying on Dell hardware.

Unleashing innovation

HealthSpot and PRC are perfect examples of a concept we at Dell like to refer to as “Unleashing Innovation,” a critical stage of the information-driven healthcare journey in which investments in technology and process yield significant returns in the form of efficiency, cost savings and quality of care. These innovations can happen at the individual physician or hospital level, across an integrated healthcare delivery network, and even nationally or globally. They can focus on operational efficiency, clinical process improvement, or the discovery of new treatments for specific diseases like cancer or diabetes. And they can help transform the entire healthcare industry, by identifying effective treatments, and allowing providers, payers, and patients to collaborate and engage in new ways. When built upon solid foundations of technology, process and people, the possibilities of unleashing innovation are limited only by the imagination of the institutions pursuing it. I can’t wait to see what our healthcare customers will imagine next and how it will change the world.

This is a sponsored post.