Healthcare Mobile Computing

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Mobile Computing in Monitoring Patient versus In-Patient Visit to Hospitals
Advantages
Disadvantages
Security of a Patient’s Medical Information Transmitted over Wireless Networks
Mobile Computing and Support Groups for Patients Suffering from Similar Diseases
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Mobile computing can be defined as the use of portable computers connected to the internet to receive and store information. According to Kumar (n.d.), mobile computing is a discipline that involves creation of information in an organization platform.

The mobile computing device helps a person to access, process and retrieve information from anywhere at any time. Such devices are connected to wireless transmission, cables, telephone wire, or any other internet connection. Whether stationed at one place or moving, the information being processed or managed is not interfered with.

According to Hagan School of Business (2005), mobile computing can be used by patients to monitor the situation of a disease they are suffering from. Mobile computing can also be used in transmission of information to nurses wherever they are stationed, for example, in hospitals.

Hagan School of Business (2005), further states that the monitoring tag which acts as transceiver stores information on medical and diagnostic updates besides receiving. This technology is capable of improving resource management and logistics via more timely and precise information. According to Shahriyar et al. (2009), the main goal of mobile computing is to provide health care services to any person at any time irrespective of the constraints of time, place, or character.

Mobile Computing in Monitoring Patient versus In-Patient Visit to Hospitals

According to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) (2012), mobile computing gives a patient the required necessary information that could take time for nurses to explain to a patient. In this case, mobile computing devices are considered appropriate compared to a patient visiting a hospital since they (patients) can get information which the nurses might not have time to explain to them (patients) due to workload.

Comparing the use of mobile computing devices with visiting the hospitals, mobile computing can be considered efficient in terms of receiving and storage of a patient’s information compared to individuals in a hospital. However, entering information to these devices can be time consuming compared to recording the same manually.

On the other hand, since the patient records have not evolved it has become a challenge for some of the things to be done over the chosen device (RMIT University, 2012). Along this line of thought it becomes necessary for one to visit a hospital or doctors since it will be possible clarify what is not included in the monitoring devices.

With the use of mobile computing devices, patients are in a position to monitor the progress of their condition unlike when one is visiting a hospital and does not rely on mobile computing because in such a situation the only information a patient will have is what the doctor chooses to give share. Therefore mobile computing encourages self-monitoring of the patient. This assists the patient to know where to go and visit the doctor even if they were not supposed to at a particular point depending on their condition.

Advantages

According to RMIT University (2012), mobile computing devices reduce medical errors. They also increase the chances of giving a patient the appropriate prescription through the suggested drugs and frequency of taking a dosage.

This is a great move in the medical field since patients are assured to get the right drugs and the right dosage even when the clinicians are overwhelmed by work at the hospitals. Mobile computing also helps clinicians to get practical audit and analysis through the use of data from these devices to revisit clinical practical patterns (RMIT University, 2012).

Mobile computing reduces the time that nurses use for administrative work hence increasing the efficiency of attending to the patients. It is also noted that since using mobile computing is easier compared to patient queuing, it then acts as a motivation to clinicians as it creates more time for them thus reducing the possibility of being overworked.

Mobile computing in medical field reduces costs through cheap tests and drugs and less medication errors. This is so due to the easier way of getting relevant and necessary information related to the patients unlike other old machines that were traditionally used.

Disadvantages

Mobile computing reduces person-to- person interaction between a patient and a doctor. This is a disadvantage compared to visiting a doctor whereby a doctor can ask and clarify any question unlike mobile computing which is sometimes limited to the information that it provides. Failure to know the command might equally mean that no information will be received.

According to RMIT University (2012), some screens are too small to write in excel. This is a challenge since information is well and easier interpreted when it is put in excel rather than Microsoft word. It therefore becomes hard for information to be put in some devices which do not have enough screens to accommodate the required information. It is argued that mobile computing can sometimes be time consuming as one enters the required details into the devices.

Security of a Patient’s Medical Information Transmitted over Wireless Networks

According to Stanford University (2012), mobile computing devices carry huge amount of data and since they are portable it becomes difficult to keep this information secure. If these devices are stolen or get lost, whoever picks them can access a patient’s medical information. It is further argued that even if they are left somewhere else with no one observing them, intruders can access the information stored in them hence not being secure especially when they are not protected.

If the data links in the air during the wireless transmission, it can result to loss of one’s data. This is a disadvantage since one is not sure who can access the information concerning his or her health or when he or she can lose this vital device that helps in monitoring his or her health condition. It is suggested that a user of the device should be alert in the operation and also ensure that the information is protected against any other unauthorized person.

Mobile Computing and Support Groups for Patients Suffering from Similar Diseases

Gasca (2009) highlights that mobile computing gives many people an opportunity to share experiences with others in different areas. These support groups are designed to reduce stress to patients, increase communication between one patient and others who are suffering from the same disease and also with the doctor monitoring them. Support groups also help the patients to access relevant information from the support group members that can be important for their improvement.

Support groups through mobile computing create an interactive system for patients to change their behaviors and attitude towards diseases they are ailing from. Through learning how other patients are dealing with the same diseases an individual is encouraged and motivated to try the same procedures.

Conclusion

Mobile computing in the medical field has contributed to improvement in the care of patients especially for those patients suffering from chronic diseases and need to be monitored from time to time. This a great progress in the medical field, however, it is also a challenge to those who may not afford such gadgets since they cannot access such services.

Given that these devices can help individuals to monitor their health, it is possible that many people using such devices may live longer than they were to live without them. This is because they access the right information even without having to visit hospitals at the time they cannot reach there.

References

Gasca, E. (2009). Assisting Support Groups of Patients with Chronic Diseases through Persuasive Computing, Journal of Universal Computer Science, 15(16), 3081-3100.

Hagan School of Business: Mobile Computing for Hospitals: Transition Problems. (2005). Web.

Kumar, V. (n.d.). Mobile Computing. Web.

RMIT University: Mobile Computing. (2012). Web.

Shahriyar et al. (2009). Intelligent Mobile Health Monitoring System (IMHMS). Web.

Stanford University: Guidelines for Securing Mobile Computing Devices. (2012). Web.

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