Wireless System at VA Hospital Provides Real-Time Data
Real-time, wireless data exchange has provided the VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan, with a substantial leap forward in improving the accessibility of patient information to caregivers.
"Wireless laptop computers have proven to be tremendous new tools for improving the effectiveness and efficiency services provided within the healthcare environment," said Joe Lerschen, Chief of VA Medical Center. "Patient medical records, treatment and scheduling information is immediately available to caregivers at any location within the facility. Mobility, flexibility and speed are advantages of the wireless system that permits our caregivers to concentrate more on patients needs."
The Symbol Solution: Spectrum24 Wireless LAN, PC Cards
Lowry Computer Products, Brighton Michigan designed the system, using Symbol Technologies Spectrum24, Symbol’s open standards wireless network. It provides voice and data transmission, fast, seamless roaming and excellent immunity to interference through its frequency-hopping technology.
The heart of the system is the Symbol Spectrum24 Access Point. "This is a network bridge unit that links the wireless mobile computing devices to the wired network of the hospital, "explained Denis Bishop, head of Lowry’s Professional Services Group. "It connects to the wired LAN via 10 Base-T or 10 Base 2.
"It converts the standard Ethernet packets to IEEE 802.11-based wireless packets. This facilitates communications to any vendor’s mobile device that also adheres to IEEE 802.11 standards."
Next is the Spectrum24 Wireless LAN PC Card or Wireless LAN ISA Bus Card. The PC Card adheres to the PCMCIA II standards and will operate in any standard PCMCIA II slot. Currently, Iron Mountain operates Panasonic CF-61 laptop computers with the Windows 95 Operating System.
The wireless system enables doctors and nurses to obtain instant patient data, no matter where they are in the hospital. The system is installed in areas that are difficult to hardwire, such as in the laboratory, imaging and surgery. The hospital also equipped the training and educational PCs with wireless technology so they can be easily relocated; from the formal training room to an employees work-site, for example.
In addition, the wireless network was installed in the community-based outpatient clinics.
"These locations usually do not have a hardwired network in place or the connections are not conveniently located," said Lerchen. "We have achieved significant savings by avoiding the need to install hardwired networks in these facilities."
Partnership Hit a Home Run
"We worked closely with Joe Lerchen, Craig David, and Joe Brooks of the Medical Center’s Clinical Support Department to install and configure the 58 wireless PC Cards and 20 ISA Bus Cards in laptop and desk top computers on their network," stated Ben Portman, LowrysEGovernment Sales Representative.
"The Lowry-Symbol Partnership has proven to be very effective in implementing the wireless network solution within our facility," Lerschen said. "They worked with us to meet our specific needs, and their scalable technology keeps pace with today’s ever changing environment."
Greatest Benefit Real-Time Data
Terry Danielson, RN., Surgery Coordinator said, "The wireless system is very useful to the surgical staff. It permits extensive use of laptops within the surgical suite, outpatient surgical clinics, special clinic areas such as endoscopy, office areas, etc. Wherever the need for patient information exists, it can be obtained with the laptop units."
"Barbara Staley, a doctor of pharmacy, uses her laptop in the Warfarin and Lipid Clinics to review lab results and write progress notes. "I like the portability," she said. "I can hear our veterans more when I am face-to-face with them and I am able to provide a higher level of persona; service. Some patients in the Warfarin Clinic have had strokes, so I need to see the patient and the patient needs to see me, to read my lips, for example. In these situations, the mobility afforded with the wireless system is invaluable."
As Dr. Saravanakumar, M.D. explained, "I do not have to sign in and out of different computer terminals in every office or clinic area where I see my patients. In addition, efficiency is compounded because on the laptop I can have three or four windows open, simultaneously reviewing a patient’s lab work, radiology/pathology reports, progress notes etc."
A.J. Kent P.A.C., a physician assistant working within both the urology and surgical sections believes the wireless network is one of the best innovations implemented within the medical facility. In addition to echoing the comments expressed by the physicians and surgical staff, Mr. Kent believes the accuracy and completeness of information entered has greatly improved because the wireless system allows the information to be input in real time, while still with the patient.
Solution Leadership
The wireless system has proven so successful that the VA Medical Center at IronMountian is in the process of expanding, and it’s so advanced that other VA Hospitals want to learn about it.
Mr. Lerschen emphasized that a team effort on the part of the technical staff and the administrative leadership is essential to the success of pilot projects such as this. "Without administrative support such as that shown by Dr. Joan Cummings, Network Director of the Great Lakes VISN 12 Health Care System, and Tom Arnold, Director of the Iron Mountain Medical Center, our technology solution would have been impossible to implement."
Dr. John Frahm, Chief of Staff,is a proponent of the new technology and played a key role in its implementation. "The wireless technology installed within our facility fully supports our goals. It is a tool that enables us to perform more efficiently and, thereby, contributes to our ability to provide optimal care to our patients."
Application Summary: Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Iron Mountian, Michigan
Application:
Wireless access to real-time patient information, records, research and schedules.
System:
Symbol’s Spectrum24 Wireless Network, Spectrum24 PC Cards and Spectrum24 Access Points. Panasonic’s CF-61 Laptop Computers.
Environment:
The VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain and its community-based outpatient clinics.
Benefits:
With accurate, Timely data at point-of-care, caregivers can increase patient service, productivity and efficiency. Entering information directly into the system saves time while it reduces errors, paperwork and filing.
Government Services Administration Contract:
Lowry holds the Government Services Administration Contract with Symbol. The application was a team effort by the Veterans Administration, Lowry, Symbol I Group in Washington, DC, and Symbol’s Healthcare Group in Holtville, New York.
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