THE GOAL OF THIS CONTINUING EDUCATION PRO- GRAM is to inform and update nurses on the developing tech- nology and expanding use of mobile technology in healthcare, particularly at the point of care. After studying the information presented here, you will be able to:
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Identify the most common types of mobile devices and operating systems
Discuss key factors to consider when selecting a mobile device
Name at least three ways to use a mobile device in a clinical setting
By Sarah E. Fletcher, MSN, BS, RN-BC
Plug in the data and read out the answer. No pen and paper, no heavy textbook or bulky manual — just a computer you can hold in your hand. Keisha loves her new mobile device. In pediatrics, drug doses and fluid needs vary with weight, and the margin of error is minuscule, so she depends on her smartphone to help keep her patients safe. Today, Keisha enters a newly ordered infusion rate for a newborn with meningitis into the preprogrammed application on her phone, and the screen confirms that the rate is within safe parameters for the weight and age of her patient. She also confirms the baby’s antibiotic dose. With the timer set to alert her to reassess in 15 minutes, she slips her device back into the pocket of her scrubs. Another patient is about to be discharged home on a new medica- tion, so Keisha uses her mobile device to call up teaching points for the family on the drug’s therapeutic effects, compatibilities and adverse effects that should trigger a call to their healthcare provid- er. Before she left for work that morning, Keisha downloaded two nursing articles to prepare for an inservice she plans to present the following week. If time permits, she will review them later in the day.
electronic organizers that served as efficient address and appoint- ment books have rapidly evolved from personal information managers into today’s more sophisticated handheld smartphones and small tablet computers. Although still available, the advent of the smartphone has made PDAs much less common. The newest addition, the tablet PC, is similar to a smartphone
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but is physically larger and generally lacks phone functionality. Tablet PCs function independently but have the ability to share data directly with a host desktop or laptop computer and allow access to computer networks or the Internet. A relatively new device type, the phablet, is also gaining ground.
These devices are smartphones with a screen size of 5.5 inches or larger, which is more tabletlike than a phone. The market share for phablets more than tripled in 2015 over the same time frame of the previous year, indicating that phablets are becoming a mainstay in the mobile industry.1 Through shared software applications and a process of synchro-
nization (referred to as a “HotSync”), programs, files and other information from the device and the host computer are transferred, analyzed, updated and finally stored on both units. This can be done wirelessly if Wi-Fi is available. If the host computer can be connected to the Internet, the synchronization process can include called-up and downloaded data. As cloud computing services
oday’s consumer can choose from hundreds of mobile devices in three main categories: Personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones and tablet personal computers. Early
(DropBox, iCloud, Google Drive, Skydrive and others) become more common, HotSync is becoming less common. As long as an Internet connection is available, data can be saved in the cloud and accessed seamlessly via any mobile device or computer.2 The majority of today’s devices have touch-screen technology
with on-screen keyboards or small, built-in keyboards. Others use the more traditional stylus — a small plastic pen used to tap and write on the screen. Many devices with a stylus use a handwriting recognition application, which “learns” how the user writes or compares written characters to an existing database of characters before converting them to digital text. However, frustrations still exist with handwriting recognition software.3 Regardless of the device, users are encouraged to read consumer
reviews and experiment with devices in person to ensure that the technology meets their needs. For example, several types of touch screens are available, and some require heat or physical contact to activate them, making it difficult to use the device with gloves on. Although it’s becoming less common, touch screens that only recognize a single point of contact, meaning you can’t move your fingers together on the screen to zoom in, are still available.4
Choosing your smartphone or tablet First, find out which devices are available from your cellular phone carrier. Contact your cellular provider or consult an online tool, such as Phone Finder. If you want to simply compare devices, try Product Chart. Consider how the device will be used in order to determine: • The type of operating system (OS), often based on the availability of software applications appropriate to the intended use
• Memory — both internal and external • The need for and availability of nontelephonic commu- nication capabilities, often determined by the need to interact with other users in a facility. This includes chat and Wi-Fi
• Size and form factor • Built-in and add-on features • Cost, including data download and texting In some facilities, nursing informatics specialists may be avail-
able to help staff members select the best product for their setting. Some hospital-provided PDAs may have barcode scanning ca- pabilities for medication administration or specimen collection. Some facilities are implementing a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) process that allows staff to access hospital Wi-Fi and, in some cases, document patient care in the electronic health record (EHR). There are obvious security concerns, so contact your IT department for the facility’s policy, keeping in mind it may include granting permission to have your device reformatted (erased) remotely when you leave or if policy changes.5 Operating System/s (OS): The OS, sometimes called a platform,
is the heart of the device. It allows the device to function and use a wide variety of applications. Much like a computer, which may use Windows, OS X or Linux, the operating system can be put on a variety of devices. The table provides a summary of the most common operating
systems and their manufacturers, as well as common available devices for each OS.
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