A new report from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and KLAS Research highlights the potential of wearable devices to empower patients in their own healthcare. However, for broader adoption, health systems will need to focus on improving security and connectivity.
The report also notes that healthcare organizations are working to combine personal technologies with healthcare, with a particular emphasis on data security and interoperability. This approach has the potential to lead to more effective, proactive, and patient-centric care. The authors of the report include Digital Health Analytics, a market intelligence firm that suggests this approach will also give patients a larger role in managing their health.
According to the report, wireless technology is increasingly being used by health IT executives surveyed for telehealth purposes, wireless Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video monitoring, cellular connectivity throughout premises, Radio Frequency Identification/Real-Time Location Systems (RFID/RTLS), telemetry over Internet Protocol (TIP), wander management/patient elopement/infant abduction prevention, and patient wearables integrated with the Electronic Health Record (EHR). These findings are based on a survey representing about 40% of U.S hospitals’ digital footprint.