Data #3 sees healthy results from trial

The three month trial, a part of the Queensland Government’s eHealth Strategy, was initiated to identify how the use of IT could improve clinical efficiency, effectiveness and safety in hospitals across QLD.

John Grant, managing director at Data #3, said, it worked with QLD Health and a number of suppliers, to supply around 20 doctors with hospital grade tablet PCs to access clinical databases over a robust and secure wireless network.

According to Grant, this allowed clinicians to access information critical to proper patient diagnosis – including test results – from anywhere, anytime during their rounds.

“This illustrates the transformation potential that technology plays in both the public and private sector,” he said.

“With the challenges of an ageing, fast growing population and skill shortages around the world demanding health organisations do more with less, technology a key role in ensuring organisations can scale to meet that demand.”

In a recent statement, Stephen Robertson – the Minister for Health – said the use of tablet PCs had potential benefits for patient safety and quality care.

“Early results from the trial estimated that 30 to 60 minute savings per clinician per day is achievable, because doctors don’t have to walk away from patients to access and record information,” he said.

“Junior doctors and other clinicians are essentially mobile workers, so providing them with tablet PCs they can take their rounds will increase efficiency and deliver better outcomes for patients.”