These days, most everyone in healthcare has a smartphone or a tablet, or both. They're not worried about the devices any more. What they want is a platform on which to use them – one that will synch those devices with their laptop or PC and give them the same user experience over all.
That platform just might be Windows 8.1.
Alan Portela thinks so. Earlier this month, the CEO of AirStrip announced the launch of AirStrip ONE Cardiology for all hardware using the Windows 8.1 operating system, becoming the first mHealth vendor to support the system.
“Mobility is no longer defined as just smartphones and tablets. This release of AirStrip ONE Cardiology for Windows 8.1 supports our vision of developing a consistent and seamless user experience for mobile clinical professionals, regardless of form factor,” he said in a press release. “Enabling clinicians to access vital data from across the care continuum in a single unified format will result in an increase in mobile utilization, helping to drive transformation toward higher quality, more efficient care that mitigates the increasing pressures on a fast-changing healthcare system.”
In an interview with mHealthNews, Portela said mHealth solutions "need to satisfy the demands of the caregiver" by giving them the same experience on mobile devices that they have on desktops.
"They don't want to learn anything new," he said of physicians who are currently more concerned with adopting electronic medical records and adapting to the new healthcare landscape. "We're leveraging an existing infrastructure."
Portela pointed out that while healthcare providers seem to be using devices all over the place, the PC is still a vital piece of the clinical setting, particularly in the hospital and clinic. "Mobile hasn't intersected yet" with the needs of the clinician in the office, he said, because the transition from desktop to device isn't user-friendly.
In a blog on Airstrip's Mobile Health Matters site, Neil Jordan, general manager of Microsoft's 'Health for Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector,' said providers "are juggling financial pressures and need to prioritize health IT projects to confirm the value and ROI." He said Windows 8.1 offers a "seamless view of EMR data and medical device data," and devices using the operating system "enable the security and functionality necessary for the exchange of patient data."
"One of the most impactful components of AirStrip ONE Cardiology available on Windows 8.1 is that it's not just going to reach clinicians on their tablets but will also make that same view of data available on their desktops at the hospital and office," he wrote.
Portela said AirStrip, which was the first mHealth company to join the Microsoft Apps for Surface program in July, will be adding more mobile clinical solutions to the Windows 8.1 platform in the near future. He and Jordan said AirStrip ONE Cardiology was chosen first because cardiac conditions are a target for readmission penalties and tend to be costly to treat.
Portela said the company is awaiting FDA clearance for its new product. In the meantime, San Diego-based Palomar Health, the largest healthcare district in California and a frequent innovation partner with AirStrip, will beta-test AirStrip ONE Cardiology for Windows.
“We look forward to helping drive this exciting new phase of healthcare transformation, which will include an AirStrip ONE Cardiology solution that incorporates a variety of additional data sources and functionality,” said Orlando Portale, the network's chief innovation officer, in the press release.
