Medical/scientific uses of X50v/x51v featured at web site

[hidefguy]

FYI; I've finally put a web site together of some of my work (including some video clips, that probably need re-filming when I get a chance) using the x50v/x51v at:

http://mobile.sdsc.edu

comments welcome.

[Darius Wey]

Wow, this is awesome.

If you don't mind, I'll "front-page" this shortly. :)

[hidefguy]

Wow, this is awesome.

If you don't mind, I'll "front-page" this shortly. :)

Thanks!

[Edgar_]

My brother is an Orthopedic surgeon and President of his hospital in Ohio. I have been forwarding Darius' articles and this stuff to him. He's very excited about the opportunities that technology is bringing to medicine.

As a new speciality surgical hospital, and he being a gadget freak, he is always looking to improve the ability of the doctor and their staff to do their work. More patients, more risk, lower funds all feed the need to grow technology in this field.

Once the HIPPA security issues are fully mitagated I think you will see patient records, xrays etc explode just as the documents and reference guides have. Wi-FI still needs to be more secure as well.

Great site!

-Edgar

[Brad Adrian]

Once the HIPPA security issues are fully mitagated...
Just curious...

What aspects of HIPPA haven't been (or can't be) met using current mobile devices? Or, is it more a matter of ensuring that the correct technologies are implemented?

[Edgar_]

Well obviously there are issues of implementation. On multiple levels: the storage of the data, the tranmission of the data, the retention of the data and the presentation of the data. HIPPA controls the access and storage/availability of the data, within bounds and mostly with patients concurrence.

Some places are working on the "available only where you are" model. ie the data is only available to you within the patients reach - such as in the hospital they are in. This replaces the clipboard that hung on the end of the bed, but contains a richer amount of information such as xrays, full medical history etc, vs the information that is only from their current stay. Many use Bluetooth or proprietary solutions to control that acess. But that information moving out of a doctor's hands when he leaves the room, limits his ability to work and view information whereever he is. And removing the flexibility and productivity of the doctor and their staff.

Other models follow the "encrypted at rest". Meaning the data resides either on a server or on the device in the doctor's/staff's hands (or both device and server) and is encrypted. Concern still arises in this method simply because the simple foibles of humans (and poor design), not taking the extra time to protect and ensure saftey of the data. This area is more in flux on handheld devices as a solid performer with integrated API's as a standard has not been determined. Also, many patients are not yet comfortable with technology. Bad enough that credit card data hacking is constantly in the news - they fear their medical data could be as well. God forbid a medical staffer or doctor leaves their tablet PC or PDA at a conference with all their patients data and only used a weak password, or a weak encryption. Or even transferred a patients MS Word writeup to a USB key, unencrypted.

The last issue is wireless security. 802.1x has yet to get a firm industry accepted security. Data on the move is usually the most open to hacking. Wether encrypted in transit or not. Without wireless access much of the productivity gains of these ideas are lost.

Their are individual and proprietary solutions to each of these pieces. But to get the leap in technology with resultant acceptance there is still a bit to go. Generally accepted standard to interface, transfer and security would help. Technology in the medical field needs to get better accepted as a whole. Digital XRay imaging is still very new technology and is not available everywhere. Even MRI reports are analog only at some places - unable to be transmitted easily for viewing on more ubiquitiuos devices. (ugh this needs a spell check!) Hand held PDA's need more security solutions, higher resolution, higher performing chip sets to allow for moving high res viewing and video - fine for text and regular imaging though. Tablet PC's are a great innovation for this. Medical is a leader in the Tablet PC adoption. Its a natural replacement to a clipboard and reference book. But, would you rather carry a 5lb tablet PC, or a 1lb clipboard or a 12oz PDA?

Its already come leaps and bounds - but, patient acceptance is slow, device replacement (such as xray systems) are very expensive - a single machine can be a make or break for a company's capital budget for a year. A hospital can be brought up new with the whole idea of a digital interface, but in todays world too much of the information is outside the hospital's control. Medical partners at the doctor's office, imaging, prescription fullfillment even, is in the hands of other companies. Its coming thuogh.

-Edgar