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Abstract

Health care professionals' use of mobile devices is transforming clinical practice. Numerous medical software applications can now help with tasks ranging from information and time management to clinical decision-making at the point of care.

INTRODUCTION

The use of mobile devices by health care professionals (HCPs) has transformed many aspects of clinical practice.1,2 Mobile devices have become commonplace in health care settings, leading to rapid growth in the development of medical software applications (apps) for these platforms.1,2 Numerous apps are now available to assist HCPs with many important tasks, such as: information and time management; health record maintenance and access; communications and consulting; reference and information gathering; patient management and monitoring; clinical decision-making; and medical education and training.1⁻8

Mobile devices and apps provide many benefits for HCPs, perhaps most significantly increased access to point-of-care tools, which has been shown to support better clinical decision-making and improved patient outcomes.2,8⁻10 However, some HCPs remain reluctant to adopt their use.1,4 Despite the benefits they offer, better standards and validation practices regarding mobile medical apps need to be established to ensure the proper use and integration of these increasingly sophisticated tools into medical practice.4,8,10,11 These measures will raise the barrier for entry into the medical app market, increasing the quality and safety of the apps currently available for use by HCPs.11

USE OF MOBILE DEVICES BY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Types and Prevalence of Devices Used

The introduction of mobile computing devices (personal digital assistants [PDAs], followed by smartphones and tablet computers) has greatly impacted many fields, including medicine. Health care professionals now use smartphone or tablet computers for functions they used to need a pager, cellphone, and PDA to accomplish.7 Smartphones and tablets combine both computing and communication features in a single device that can be held in a hand or stored in a pocket, allowing easy access and use at the point of care.7 In addition to voice and text, new mobile device models offer more advanced features, such as web searching, global positioning systems (GPS), high-quality cameras, and sound recorders.12 With these features, as well as powerful processers and operating systems, large memories, and high-resolution screens, mobile devices have essentially become handheld computers.12

The first mobile device that incorporated both communication and computing features was the Blackberry, which was introduced in 2002.5 After the Blackberry was brought to market, other handheld mobile devices were introduced. Perhaps most notably, in January 2007, Apple launched the first-generation iPhone.5 Subsequently, smartphones that run the Google Android operating system were introduced in October 2008.5 Because of the intuitive touch-screen user interfaces and advanced features and capabilities that the iPhone and Android smartphones offer, ownership of mobile devices has increased rapidly.12 In April 2010, Apple introduced a new innovation, the iPad tablet computer, which because of ease of use, portability, and a comparatively large screen was yet another transformative computing tool.5 The iPad ignited the tablet computer market.9 Tablets that run the Google Android operating system (Samsung Galaxy and others) were launched later that year, making the use of these mobile devices even more widespread.5

The June 2012 Manhattan Research/Physician Channel Adoption Study found that doctors' ownership and use of mobile devices is pervasive, with 87% using a smartphone or tablet device in their workplace, compared to 99% who use a computer.13 Surveys have shown that around 80% of physicians use an iPhone, while most of the remainder opt for Android smartphones.1,14 An estimated 66% of doctors own a tablet computer, which 54% use in their practices.13 Interestingly, the popularity of mobile devices does not correspond with age, since 80% of physicians ages 55 and older own a smartphone.13 Similar results reflecting the pervasive use of mobile devices by HCPs were reported in a survey of medical school faculty, residents, and students.1 The results of this study found that 85%, 90%, and 85% of respondents, respectively, use mobile devices in a wide variety of clinical settings ranging from classrooms to hospitals.1

Need for Mobile Devices at the Point of Care

One major motivation driving the widespread adoption of mobile devices by HCPs has been the need for better communication and information resources at the point of care.7,14 Ideally, HCPs require access to many types of resources in a clinical setting, including:

Communication capabilities-voice calling, video conferencing, text, and e-mail 7

Hospital information systems (HISs)-electronic health records (EHRs), electronic medical records (EMRs), clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), picture archiving and communication systems (PACSs), and laboratory information systems (LISs)7

Informational resources-textbooks, guidelines, medical literature, drug references7

Clinical software applications-disease diagnosis aids, medical calculators7

The results of the 2012 Manhattan Research/Physician Channel Adoption Study also identified the purposes for which HCPs rely on mobile devices.13 Searching was the most popular activity among HCPs, with 98% using their desktops/laptops to search, 63% using their tablets, and 56% using their smartphones.13 Focusing on smartphone use for doctors alone, searching is again the most common activity, occupying 48% of phone time, with professional apps consuming an additional 38%.13 Physicians were also found to spend an average of three hours per week watching web videos for professional purposes on desktops/laptops (67%), tablets (29%), and smartphones (13%); the most frequently viewed content (55%) was continuing medical education (CME) activities.13 A frequent reliance on mobile devices was also reported in the survey of medical school HCPs and students, with 85% reporting the use of a mobile device at least once daily for clinical purposes, often for information and time management or communication relating to education and patient care.1

MOBILE APPS FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

What Are "Apps"?

The ability to download medical apps on mobile devices has made a wealth of mobile clinical resources available to HCPs.15 Medical apps for many purposes are available, including ones for electronic prescribing, diagnosis and treatment, practice management, coding and billing, and CME or e-learning.9,10 A broad choice of apps that assist with answering clinical practice and other questions at the point of care exist, such as: drug reference guides, medical calculators, clinical guidelines and other decision support aids, textbooks, and literature search portals.7,13,15 There are even mobile apps that simulate surgical procedures or that can conduct simple medical exams, such as hearing or vision tests.6,7 Many mobile apps are not intended to replace desktop applications, but are meant to complement them in order to provide a resource that has the potential to improve outcomes at the point of care.7 The use of medical apps has become frequent and widespread; 70% of medical school HCPs and students reported using at least one medical app regularly, with 50% using their favorite app daily.1,9

In July 2008, access to apps was further revolutionized by the launch of the Apple iTunes Appstore, which gave iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch (iTouch) users the ability to shop for and download apps from an online marketplace.9,15 As of January 2014, Apple reported that a staggering 1 million apps were available through the iTunes Appstore.16 In 2011, Apple created the "Apps for Healthcare Professionals" section within the medical category of the iTunes Appstore, a unique feature among mobile app marketplaces.17 In 2013, this section was further divided into subcategories including: reference, medical education, EMR and patient monitoring, nursing, imaging, patient education, and personal care.18 Google similarly launched a "Google Play" shop that provides a wide variety of apps, including some for HCPs, for mobile devices that use the Android operating system.15 To reach more users, some mobile apps have been made available for use on either Apple or Android platforms.9

The primary criteria for choice of app is often cost; users may prefer to download a free app but will replace or upgrade it later, if necessary, with one that requires payment.9 Some free apps are fully functional, while others are nonfunctional or partially functional unless a subscription is purchased.9 Many well-known medical journals and medical textbooks can be purchased as mobile apps after payment of a subscription fee.9 Although some medical apps may initially be costly, they can ultimately be cost-effective if updates are included.9,15 For example, medical textbook apps are often updated annually, eliminating the need to buy newer editions.9

How HCPs Use Mobile Devices and Apps

Health care professionals use medical devices and apps for many purposes, most of which can be grouped under five broad categories: administration, health record maintenance and access, communications and consulting, reference and information gathering, and medical education. The many uses for mobile devices and types of medical apps that fall under these categories are discussed in the following section, and are also listed in Tables 1 and ​and2 2 .

Table 1

Time Management

Health Record Maintenance and Access

Patient Monitoring

Monitor patient rehabilitation

Table 2

Information Management

Evernote

Note-taking and organization

Notability

Note-taking and organization

iAnnotate

PDF viewer

GoodReader

PDF viewer

Box

Cloud storage and file sharing

Dropbox

Cloud storage and file sharing

Google Drive

Cloud storage and file sharing

Communication and Consulting

Doximity

Social networking site for MDs

Reference and Information Gathering

Epocrates

Drug and medical reference

Dynamed

Drug and medical reference

Skyscape/Omnio

Drug and medical reference

Micromedex

Drug reference

Dynamed

Medical reference

UpToDate

Medical reference

Medscape

Medical reference

Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide

Medical reference

Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy

Medical reference

Medpage Today

Medical news

Patient Management and Monitoring

Diagnosaurus

Differential diagnosis

Pocket Lab Values

Laboratory reference

Lab Pro Values

Laboratory reference

Archimedes

Medical calculator

MedCalc

Medical calculator

Mediquations

Medical calculator

Calculate

Medical calculator

AHRQ ePSS

Screening and prevention tool

Medical Education and Training

MedPage Today

Continuing medical education

QuantiaMD

Continuing medical education

Information and Time Management

One of HCPs' most frequent uses for mobile devices is information and time management.1 Popular information management apps, such as Evernote and Notability, enable users to write or dictate notes, record audio, store photographs, and organize material into categories within a searchable electronic database.6 E-book reader apps, such as GoodReader and iAnnotate, allow users to view, underline, highlight, enlarge, and annotate text in PDF files.2,5

Cloud-based storage and file-sharing services that can be accessed using a mobile device are also useful for information management, since they allow users to store, update, and share documents or photographs with others without exchanging a flash drive or CD.2,5,6 Most cloud-based storage systems provide users with a few gigabytes of memory for free; additional space often requires payment of an annual subscription.2 Cloud-based information storage provides the additional advantage of permitting information to be accessed instantaneously from multiple devices, which allows people who are collaborating together to share materials quickly.2,5,6

Dropbox is a popular cloud-based storage service that can be used with multiple devices.2,5 Google Drive also allows file uploading, sharing, and management through Google Docs.2,5 SkyDrive, a cloud-based storage service that is compatible with mobile devices, uses the Windows 8 operating system.5 Box is a cloud-based storage service that is reportedly compliant with both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.19 However, it should be noted that some cloud-based storage services are not compliant, and therefore may not be suitable for storing or exchanging patient information.2 Access to cloud-based storage services requires an Internet connection, but files can be saved to the mobile device's internal memory for offline use.5

HCPs frequently use mobile device apps for time management. This doesn't require a special app; native apps that come installed on mobile devices are often sufficient to organize and track appointments, meetings, call schedules, and other clinical obligations.1,3 Mobile apps such as ZocDoc, which allow patients to view information about and make appointments with participating doctors, are also available for the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices.4

Health Record Maintenance and Access

Apps are also available that aid in data collection and retrieval, such as entering information into a patient's EHR or EMR.3,7 Hospital information systems often include features that allow HCP management of EHRs and PACSs, permitting secure access to patient information (medical history, vitals, prescriptions, lab results, x-rays, scans, consultations, and discharge notes) either on site or remotely.3,7

One health care software company, Epic Systems, has partnered with Apple and released versions of the Epic scheduling, billing, and clinical support app for the iPhone and iPad.4 PatientKeeper Mobile Clinical Results provides physicians with access to patient clinical data via either Apple or Android mobile devices.7 Teamviewer is a general-purpose record maintenance and access app that can be installed on mobile devices, allowing remote access to desktop PCs.5 In the absence of such apps, a virtual private network (VPN) log-in can often be obtained from the hospital to allow remote secure access into the in-house network through the Internet to view records for emergency consultations.5

Specialized apps are also available for remote viewing of medical imaging scans.10 Mobile MIM is a free app for the iPad and iPhone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, that allows remote viewing of x-rays and imaging scans when users cannot access imaging workstations.6 This software works with a paid subscription or pay-per-use plan using MIMCloud, a HIPAA-compliant server that allows users to store and share medical images.6 Images can be downloaded from the cloud and viewed with the MIMViewer paid app in any setting, whether during discussions with team members or patients.6

Communication and Consulting

Health care systems are often highly dispersed, encompassing multiple locations such as clinics, inpatient wards, outpatient services, emergency departments, operating theaters, intensive care units, and labs.7 Consequently, HCPs not only need to be mobile themselves, they also need to be able to communicate and collaborate with people in different locations.7 Mobile devices satisfy this need by offering multiple means of communication, including: voice and video calling; text, e-mail, and multimedia messaging; and video conferencing.3,7 Clinical communication apps are available for mobile devices that are specifically designed to simplify communication among clinicians.7

Mobile devices have been proven to improve contact between HCPs and their colleagues.1,4 In one study, mobile devices were shown to improve communication between doctors and nurses on inpatient wards.4 In a survey of medical school HCPs and students, more than 80% of respondents described using mobile devices to communicate with colleagues about patient care via e-mail, telephone, and text messages.1 They described texting as a more efficient means of communication than telephone conversations or in-person meetings.1 Mobile devices also allow rapid response to e-mail, allowing users to keep up with communication.1 Texting or calling colleagues directly on their mobile devices, rather than paging them, has also been shown to save critical time in emergency cases.3,7 Mobile devices can also be used by HCPs to aid long-distance patients by allowing them to text or send pictures regarding problems or questions.3

Social networking apps are useful tools for enabling discussion, consultations, and collaboration among HCPs.5 Doximity is a HIPAA-compliant social networking site that has been described as a "Facebook for doctors."4 Registration on Doximity requires validation of a potential user's credentials through verification against a medical license database.4 Once registered, physicians can network with colleagues from medical school, residency, or elsewhere, and exchange patient-related information via text messages.4 Facebook itself has also reportedly been used to establish a "nondisclosed" forum for consultations, discussions, and mini-lectures among infectious disease specialists who are registered university professors.5 Such forums can provide a convenient and efficient means for medical specialists to rapidly and efficiently share opinions.5 Chatting apps that allow text messaging and image exchange can be used to trade detailed information during consultations.5 It should be noted that Facebook, as well as many other social media and chatting apps, is not HIPAA compliant.5

Reference and Information Gathering

Literature Research and Review

Mobile devices are invaluable tools for HCPs to use to search or access medical literature, as well as other information sources.1 The survey of medical school HCPs and students found that mobile devices were often used to access medical journal websites (60%) or medical news online (74%).1 Several medical journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), provide apps that allow articles to be viewed on mobile devices.5 However, journals rarely provide free access to articles without the purchase of a subscription.5

Search applications for HCPs, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, also facilitate searches of medical literature databases to identify published medical information.7 Mobile medical literature search apps used by HCPs include: PubSearch, PubMed on Tap, Medscape, MEDLINE Database on Tap (MD on Tap or MDoT), Docphin, Docwise, Read by QxMD, askMEDLINE, PICO, and Disease Associations.7 PubSearch is available for free, while PubMed on Tap is available for several dollars.2,7 Both apps work with the iOS platform to facilitate PubMed/MEDLINE searches using the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad.7 The free app MD on Tap is provided by the National Library of Medicine to help HCPs using PDAs access medical information at the point of care through three search engines: PubMed, Essie, and Google.7

Drug References

Drug reference applications are generally used to access information including: drug names, indications, dosages, pharmacology, interactions, contraindications, cost, formulary status, identification guides, and dose by weight calculators.3,7 The most frequently used mobile drug reference apps include: Epocrates, Skyscape RxDrugs/Omnio, Micromedex, FDA Drugs, and DrugDoses.net.2,4,7 Epocrates, Skyscape RxDrugs/Omnio, and FDA Drugs allow users to check multiple drug- drug interactions at the same time.7 FDA Drugs, which includes official FDA labeling for prescription and over-the-counter drugs, permits searching by active ingredients.7 The authors of Epocrates, the most commonly used drug reference app, found that 90% of physicians use mobile device apps to access drug information.7,14

News Acquisition

MedPage Today is one of the most popular apps among HCPs for accessing breaking medical news, organizing news by interest, and earning CME credits.4 The MedPage Today app provides information about drugs, diseases, and medical procedures, as well as daily podcasts, videos, and news updates.2,3 It encompasses 30 medical specialties and provides annual coverage of more than 60 meetings and symposia.2

Other medical news apps are available.5 For example, the "Outbreaks Near Me" app for users of either Apple or Android mobile devices provides real-time information regarding disease outbreaks according to geography.4 This information is gathered from multiple resources, including online news, eyewitness accounts, and official reports.4 The Outbreaks Near Me app was funded by Google and developed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other organizations.4

Patient Management

Clinical Decision-Making

Mobile devices provide HCPs with convenient and rapid access to evidence-based information, supporting clinical decision-making at the point of care.8 HCPs' increased reliance on electronic resources for this purpose was identified in the Manhattan Research/Physician Channel Adoption Study, which reported that physicians spend the majority (64%) of their online time looking for information to make or support clinical decisions, double the time spent reviewing print resources.13

Many evidence-based software apps serve as useful bedside clinical decision-making tools.7 Printed medical references often used in disease diagnosis are now available as mobile device apps that provide information on diagnosis, treatment, differential diagnosis, infectious diseases, pathogens, and other topics.7 Such apps include: Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide (JHABx), Dynamed, UpToDate, 5-Minute Clinical Consult (5MCC), 5-Minute Infectious Diseases Consult (5MIDC), Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy (SG), ePocrates ID, Infectious Disease Notes (ID Notes), Pocket Medicine Infectious Diseases (PMID), and IDdx.2,7

Diagnosaurus, a popular, low-cost mobile differential diagnosis app for the iPhone, iPad, and iTouch, can help ensure that alternative diagnoses are not overlooked.4 Flowcharts to help physicians identify diagnostic possibilities are included in the apps 5MCC and Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests.7 Other diagnostic mobile apps apply clinical algorithms to aid physicians in determining a disease diagnosis.7 Mobile devices can also be used to access CDSSs installed on desktop computers in clinical settings to aid in diagnosis and treatment decisions.8

Mobile apps can also help clinicians identify the appropriate scans or tests to order, decreasing unnecessary procedures and reducing cost of care.7 Lab test apps provide information such as: reference values and interpretation, causes for abnormal values, and laboratory unit conversions.7 They include: Pocket Lab Values, Lab Pro Values, Palm LabDX, Normal Lab Values, Lab Unit Converter, Labs 360, Davis's Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, and Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests.2,7

Mobile apps can also be used directly to conduct simple examinations for visual acuity or color blindness, as well as blood pressure or glucose level.3,5,7 The iPhone iSeismometer app, which is used to measure tremor frequency, has been reported to match more sophisticated and expensive devices used for electromyogram analysis.3 The iMurmur app provides recordings of 20 types of heart murmurs, allowing a physician to match and identify what she or he hears.3 Many apps are available to determine pregnancy due dates by using a patient's sonogram and date of last period, such as "Perfect OB Wheel." 3 These apps have been said to predict pregnancy due dates more accurately than the paper wheels that had previously been the standard.3

Current treatment guidelines available at the point of care via mobile apps also provide a valuable resource for HCPs.6 Several guidelines are accessible on mobile platforms, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for cancer care available through the Epocrates app, and the American College of Chest Physicians antithrombotic therapy guidelines available via the CHEST app.6 The Johns Hopkins ABX Guide app provides an impressive compilation of antimicrobial recommendations and guidelines, including some for surgical prophylaxis and surgical site infection treatment.6

Other mobile apps, such as medical calculators, use standard formulas to make calculations to determine risk scores and other measures, such as body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA), and proper drug doses.4,7 Calculation of clinical scores or indices typically involves utilizing complex formulas that require several input parameters.7 Even if a HCP knows the formula, performing even simple clinical score calculations manually can be surprisingly time consuming and error prone in a fast-paced clinical environment.7 In contrast, HCPs who use medical calculators do not necessarily need to know the formula for calculating a clinical score or index; they only need to enter the parameters to quickly produce a reliable result.7

Popular medical calculators include: Epocrates MedMath, MedCalc, Mediquations, Calculate, Medical Calculator, Archimedes, uBurn Lite, Softforce's Antibiotic Dosage Calculator, and Paeds ED.2,6 Others that are available are: Vancomycin ClinCalc Full, Softforces's Antibiotic Dosage Calculator, and MedCalc 3000 Pharmacology.5 Calculate by QxMD is a free app that calculates heart disease and stroke risk based on various patient variables.3 Since the results are visual, this app can be very effective in communicating risks to patients during discussions about potential behavior change.3 Another free medical calculator called Archimedes is available through Skyscape.4

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides the free Electronic Preventive Services Selector (AHRQ ePSS) app.3,4 This app is designed to assist primary care physicians in screening, counseling, and identifying preventive measures, based on a patient's age, gender, sexual activity, tobacco use, and other risk factors.3,4 Surgical risk calculators are also available, such as the euroSCORE calculator, which uses recommendations from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons to calculate operative risk at the point of care.6 The American Cancer Society National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is also developing a surgical risk calculator.6

Patient Monitoring

The use of mobile devices to remotely monitor the health or location of patients with chronic diseases or conditions has already become a viable option.7 Mobile device apps can provide public health surveillance, aid in community data collection, or assist disabled persons with independent living.12 In one study, a single-lead electrocardiograph (ECG) was connected to a smartphone to diagnose and follow treatment of patients with sleep apnea, providing a possible alternative to costly and labor-intensive polysomnography.4 Sensors attached to garments that communicate with mobile devices have also been used to remotely monitor and collect medical data regarding chronically ill elderly patients.4

A clinical monitoring system was developed to monitor an entire unit or one bed in intensive care via smartphone; it displays an alarm, color-coded according to severity, based on patient vital signs.7 The app iWander for Android was developed to monitor and track patients with early Alzheimer's disease who are prone to wandering by using the mobile device GPS.4 HanDBase, a HIPAA-compliant relational database software program, can be used on mobile devices to track hospitalized patients according to their locations, diagnosis, tests, treatments, and billing information.3 Smartphone apps have also been used to monitor patients during rehabilitation.4 For example, a smartphone connected via Bluetooth to a single-lead ECG device enabled the monitoring of patients in their own neighborhoods when they were unable to reach traditional hospital-based rehabilitation.4 Although potentially useful, patient monitoring apps can be limited by factors such as Internet and GPS reliability, as well as the patient's ability to use the device.4

Mobile apps that supplement medical devices are being developed.5 One example is iStethoscope, which uses the microphone function of the iPhone to auscultate and record.5 While this app isn't officially intended for use as a medical device, it is significant in that its existence suggests that mobile devices can eventually replace medical devices.5 Mobile devices have also been used to accurately track heart rate and heart-rate variability.4 In January 2011, MobiSante became the first company to receive FDA approval for a smartphone-based medical diagnostic tool that uses an ultrasound probe for echocardiography.4 Work has also already been initiated to develop ECG recording devices that work with smartphones.4

Medical Education and Training

Mobile devices play an increasingly important role in medical education as students and schools use more technology during training.4 Mobile devices are used by health care students in a variety of ways: to log their experiences, to access information about medical conditions and drug treatment, to perform calculations, and to make basic notes.1

Mobile devices have become ubiquitous in educational settings, particularly because they are a "learn anywhere" resource for accessing information or double-checking knowledge.1,15 Health care students are increasingly relying on mobile devices as a "pocket brain" for quick, easy access to information they need in order to succeed in their programs and careers.9 Resources frequently used by health care students include: online textbooks and lectures, medical podcasts, medical calculators, and search engines to look up unfamiliar terms.1 In addition, many mobile apps for health care students can be used for knowledge assessment, such as case study quizzes or tests to help prepare for board examinations.6,7 The ability to access all of these resources has been shown to enhance student learning in the clinical environment and to increase student knowledge scores.1

Mobile devices are also used by practicing HCPs for educational purposes, especially for CME activities that keep them informed about the most current evidence-based information and medical practices.3,4,7 QuantiaMD has a mobile CME app that provides well-scripted interactive case studies that can be shared with colleagues.4 In a survey of medical school faculty, residents, and students, 75%, 95%, and 55%, respectively, agreed that using a mobile device for rapid access to educational resources while on the go had a positive educational effect.1

BENEFITS PROVIDED BY MOBILE DEVICES AND APPS FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Mobile devices and apps have provided many benefits for HCPs, allowing them to make more rapid decisions with a lower error rate, increasing the quality of data management and accessibility, and improving practice efficiency and knowledge.1,7,8,10,20 Most importantly, these benefits have been shown to have a positive effect on patient care outcomes, as evidenced by a reduction in adverse events and hospital length of stay.8,10 These and other benefits mobile devices and apps provide to HCPs are discussed in the following section.

Convenience

Many mobile apps have made the practice of evidence-based medicine at the point of care more convenient.7,14 Health care professionals associate numerous conveniences with using a mobile device in clinical practice, such as: portability, rapid access to information and multimedia resources, flexible communications, and a choice of powerful apps to accomplish many different purposes.1,12 Medical school HCPs and students cite access to information instantaneously at the time of need as a major convenience.1 Other studies describe keeping current through access to updates about new books, guidelines, reviews, and medical literature as an appreciated convenience.10 Health care students also no longer have to carry reference books, since many can now be accessed with a mobile device.6 Consequently, students can carry all of the information found in standard medical textbooks and other necessary references in one small device that fits in a lab-coat pocket.9

Better Clinical Decision-Making

Many medical apps make mobile devices invaluable tools that support clinical decision-making at the point of care.7,10 This quality is very important when practicing evidence-based medicine, since clinicians may not always seek answers to clinical questions after the completion of every clinical encounter.2,7,10 Practicing clinicians, as well as medical and nursing students, cite the most useful mobile tools for supporting evidence-based medicine and clinical decision-making as being drug reference, medical textbook, disease diagnosis, and medical calculator apps.7 The use of mobile devices can also support better decision-making by pharmacists by providing instant access to multiple drug information sources and other medical references.2

Studies have reported an increase in the appropriateness of diagnoses and treatment decisions when mobile devices were used for clinical decision support, particularly when a CDSS app was used.8 Data have shown that when electronic references were consulted, there were twice as many adjustments in patient management decisions compared to cases in which only paper resources were available.10 Another study tested participants' understanding of prescribing accuracy and found that the use of a mobile device improved drug knowledge and understanding to a statistically significant level ( P = 0.005).8 Similarly, a risk assessment study evaluated the occurrence of gastrointestinal side effects with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and found that unsafe prescribing was significantly reduced ( P = 0.001) in the group of HCPs that used a mobile device app compared with a control group.8,10

Improved Accuracy

Mobile devices have repeatedly been found to improve the completeness and accuracy of patient documentation, an effect that has often been attributed to ease of use.2,8,10,15 More accurate diagnostic coding, more frequent documentation of side effects, and increased medication safety through reduced medical errors have been reported.10 Based on a more detailed description of clinical findings and a correct progress assessment, documentation prepared using a mobile device was judged to be of higher quality than documentation prepared using paper records.10 Inclusion of specific intervention rules on a mobile device has been found to significantly reduce prescription error rates ( P < 0.05).10 Use of a mobile device significantly reduced discharge order list errors (from 22% to 8%, P < 0.05) and yielded fewer discrepancies in recording neonatal patient weights in intensive care compared to using paper records.10 Timely communication within hospitals has also been determined to reduce medical errors, especially in critical care environments.7

Increased Efficiency

Evidence has shown that mobile devices allow HCPs to be more efficient in their work practices.3,10 The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions 2013 Survey of U.S. Physicians found that most doctors believe that meaningful adoption of health information technology (EHRs, e-prescribing, health information exchange, analytics/decision support, patient support tools [websites, mobile apps, tools to track and manage health and wellness], and mobile health technologies [ tablets, smartphones]) can improve the efficiency of clinical practice.21

The use of mobile devices has been shown to provide HCPs with numerous enhanced efficiencies, including: increased quality of patient documentation through fewer errors and more complete records, more rapid access to new information, and improved workflow patterns.10 Physicians have reported that the use of a mobile device for retrieving information from a drug database led to more efficient decision-making and patient care.10 Physicians working in health care organizations have cited improved care coordination, as well as quicker and more efficient access to clinical support resources (guidelines, lab tests, and reports) as principal benefits associated with mobile device use.10 Physicians who used mobile devices during patient rounds reported spending less time accessing, retrieving, and recording data and said that the increased efficiency freed up more time for direct patient care.10 In contrast, another study found that the increased efficiency in median doctor-patient encounter time (227 vs. 301 seconds) provided by the use of mobile devices, rather than paper resources, resulted in less time spent with the patient.10

Enhanced Productivity

Research has shown that the use of mobile devices at the point of care has helped streamline workflow and increase the productivity of HCPs.2 Mobile devices have been found to cause a significant increase in the average rate of electronic prescribing, from 52% to 64% ( P = 0.03).10 Mobile apps can also increase pharmacist productivity by allowing important drug information, such as contraindications and interactions, to be checked quickly, resulting in more rapid processing of prescriptions.22 Pharmacists using a mobile device reported recording more information and completing more fields, which resulted in more thorough documentation.10

Studies that investigated patient record maintenance and revision found that more patient information was documented when a mobile device was used, reportedly because of ease of use in comparison to paper records.8 Another study found a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.0001) in the number of diagnoses documented with a mobile device compared to paper records.8 Mobile apps can also help increase productivity by improving professional and personal time and information management.2

FUTURE TRENDS FOR MOBILE DEVICES AND APPS IN HEALTH CARE

Several interesting trends regarding the use of mobile devices and apps in health care have been predicted for the future. As better health outcomes become the ultimate goal of the health care system, apps will be needed to fulfill that purpose.23 The prevention and management of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, present serious problems for HCPs, patients, and the health care system.23 Patient care management and compliance are difficult challenges, too, so apps that successfully address these issues are needed and eagerly awaited.22 Apps that support caregivers and promote better communication among patients, physicians, and other resources have also been identified as important unmet needs.23 As patient ownership of mobile devices increases, new opportunities for direct communication with HCPs and for improved self-monitoring and disease prevention are expected to develop.10

Mobile device hardware and apps are expected to continue to improve, bringing additional and enhanced benefits to clinical practice.1,10 Future mobile apps are expected to include even larger databases, as well as CDSS prompts that will aid in clinical decision-making, similar to features that are already built into the EMR systems on desktop computers in clinical settings.5 Various other types of mobile apps will continue to evolve and transform into CDSS apps that incorporate artificial intelligence-oriented algorithms.5 There is also a need to develop standards for mobile apps so that they can integrate seamlessly with HIS capabilities, such as EMRs and patient monitoring systems.7,8 This may require in-house CDSSs that are carefully custom designed for each patient care setting.8 Such measures will enable HCPs to use mobile apps in a more meaningful way that hopefully leads to improved patient care.7

The role played by mobile devices and apps in health care education is also expected to grow.1,4 Medical school HCPs and students predict that mobile devices and apps will become even more integrated into patient care and will eventually completely replace textbooks.1 As the use of medical devices and apps expands, more educational health care programs are expected to incorporate them into medical curricula.1,4

Several issues challenge the future integration of mobile devices and apps into health care practice.2 While the majority of HCPs have adopted the use of mobile devices, the use of these tools in clinical care has been debated since their introduction, with opinions ranging from overwhelming support to strong opposition.1,4 Among the concerns raised regarding mobile devices are: their reliability for making clinical decisions; protection of patient data with respect to privacy; impact on the doctor-patient relationship; and proper integration into the workplace.10,14,22 In addition, HCPs have expressed concerns about lack of oversight with respect to standards or content accuracy, especially for apps involved in patient management.14 Older HCPs, as well as those who are intimidated by or less inclined to use new technologies, may be at a disadvantage if the use of mobile devices becomes a requirement within the health care fields.4

The increased use of these devices by clinicians in their personal and working lives has also raised important medicolegal and ethical implications.8 Consequently, establishing standards and policies within health care institutions will be necessary to ensure ethical and transparent conduct.7,11 A call has also been made for the examination of the effect of mobile devices and medical apps on clinical education.4 Adoption of these recommended measures will be greatly helpful in guiding clinicians, administrators, educators, and researchers in determining how to best incorporate these increasingly sophisticated tools into clinical practice.10 Best-practice standards for medical app developers should also be established.11 These standards will raise the barrier for entry into the medical app market, limiting the overwhelming quantity and increasing the quality of the apps currently available to HCPs and patients.11

It is also important that mobile medical apps that claim diagnostic or therapeutic efficacy be evaluated with regard to claimed outcome, as well as utility in clinical practice.4,8,10,11 While many mobile medical apps have been available for years and are very popular, there is still a lack of data that support or identify the best approach to their use.4,10 As more data become available, this will lead to a more useful selection of validated mobile medical apps for HCPs.11 Toward this end, in September 2013, the FDA released long-awaited guidelines concerning regulation of mobile device apps, announcing that the agency will evaluate apps that are "used as an accessory to a regulated medical device; or transform a mobile platform into a regulated medical device." 22,24 The FDA has chosen to exercise only enforcement discretion for apps that are deemed to pose less risk, such as those that inform or assist patients in managing their disease without providing treatment suggestions, or simple tools that allow patients to track or organize health information or interact with their EHRs.22,24

CONCLUSION

Medical devices and apps are already invaluable tools for HCPs, and as their features and uses expand, they are expected to become even more widely incorporated into nearly every aspect of clinical practice.1,2 However, some HCPs remain reluctant to adopt their use in clinical practice.1,4 Although medical devices and apps inarguably provide the HCP with many advantages, they are currently being used without a thorough understanding of their associated risks and benefits.11 Rigorous evaluation, validation, and the development of best-practice standards for medical apps are greatly needed to ensure a fundamental level of quality and safety when these tools are used.11 With the implementation of such measures, the main determinant of an app's value may ultimately be its ability to provide meaningful, accurate, and timely information and guidance to the end user in order to serve the vital purpose of improving patient outcomes.23

Footnotes

Disclosure: The author reports that she has no commercial or financial relationships in regard to this article.

REFERENCES

13. Chase J. IPads and other drugs. Medical Marketing & Media: The Interactive Guide. 2013:10-11. [ Google Scholar]

21. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions 2013 Survey of US Physicians. Physician adoption of health information technology: implications for medical practice leaders. Deloitte Development. 2013:1-12. [ Google Scholar]

23. Robinson R. App revolution: Avoiding the app trap, PharmaVOICE. 2014;14(2):24-28. [ Google Scholar]

Articles from Pharmacy and Therapeutics are provided here courtesy of MediMedia, USA

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Mobile Devices and Apps for Health Care Professionals: Uses and Benefits

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Health care professionals' use of mobile devices is transforming clinical practice. Numerous medical software applications can now help with tasks ranging from information and time management to clinical decision-making at the point of care.

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Abstract

Background:

Simulation constitutes a teaching method and a strategy for learning and understanding theoretical knowledge and skills in the nursing and medical field.

Objective:

To review and present modern data related to this issue.

Methods:

Literature review of data related to the issue derived from Medline, Cinhal, and Scopus databases, in English, using the following keywords: nursing, simulation, simulator, nursing laboratory.

Results:

The implementation of simulation enables students to practice their clinical and decision-making skills for some significant issues they may face in their daily work. The protected environment and the sense of security enhance students' self-esteem and confidence, thus promoting learning. In this way, the gap between theory and practice is substantially reduced.

Conclusion:

The further development of simulation, along with other instructional techniques, can significantly help the efforts made by the students to become integrated and successful healthcare professionals.

Keywords: nursing, simulation, simulator, nursing laboratory

1. INTRODUCTION

One of the major problems of nursing education is the lack of coordination between theory and practice. Nursing students encounter difficulties in the practical implementation of theoretical knowledge and this is a problem seen on an international scale ( 1, 2). The distance created between theory and practice complicates the learning process and the lack of understanding of nursing terms and concepts affects the professional integration of a student ( 3). This is achieved through real knowledge and understanding of healthcare science, where nursing theory is harmoniously combined with practical skills. A teaching technique contributing to this direction is simulation.

Simulation is defined as "the process by which we are trying to achieve results approximating clinical practice as closely as possible". It is a technique for replacing or completing real-life experiences with guided experiences, which area faithful imitation of the real world in a fully interactive way ( 4). It is a teaching method where, following a certain scenario, students experience the actual dimensions of their future professional roles, which helps them to be more quickly integrated into the workforce of the healthcare sector ( 5, 6)

In nursing science, simulation is used for teaching theoretical and clinical skills, while focusing on the promotion of the critical thinking of students ( 7, 8). Simulation enables students to work in an environment closely resembling that of a hospital and helps them to gain healthcare and nursing experiences, even before they start working as professionals. The students are able to put everything they have been taught into practice, cope with any difficulties and problems, and even make mistakes without causing damage, and all that in a safe environment, without any risk whatsoever for patients ( 9, 10). An increase in the use of simulation is due to the lack of clinical structures for student training, lack of professors, and also due to the increased quality of training provided through this method ( 11).

2. OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to review and present modern data related to this issue.

3. METHODOLOGY

This is descriptive study based on searched and used literature data related to the issue derived from on-line databases: Medline, Cinhal, and Scopus (in English), using the following keywords: nursing, simulation, simulator, nursing laboratory.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Simulation-based learning

Simulation constitutes a teaching and training technique for healthcare professionals aiming at the substantial understanding, enhancement and dissemination of knowledge, skills and attitudes of healthcare professionals at all levels. Through this technique, students experience an actual hospital setting and interact in it, thus significantly reducing the probability of errors in the performance of their duties ( 4, 12).

Simulation-based education and learning is an answer to the mainly theoretical training of students to date and helps them to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes, while creating a sense of security both for the patient and for the healthcare professional ( 13). This technique rebuilds a skill or clinical experience, in full or in part, without exposing the patients to any risk whatsoever ( 14, 15). It is used for applying structured learning experiences (e.g., venipuncture, patient resuscitation) based on a certain action protocol, and for enhancing the team spirit and spirit of cooperation, mostly in countries with limited educational resources ( 16, 17). This technique minimizes errors, increases the satisfaction of students from the educational process, and enhances their self-confidence, self-esteem, and comfort in skill performance. Now, the students are familiar with the successive steps required to acquire a skill, perfect their technique, and reach the optimal clinical outcome. Simulation-based education and learning becomes interactive and experiential, the main benefit being the consolidation of skills acquired and knowledge taught ( 18- 20). The setting where the simulation is performed promotes learning and, through the repetition of a skill, this skill becomes fully understood and clear. In their work Wellard et al. ( 21) report that the protected setting of a laboratory practically drives students to learn and understand certain skills, while Freeth et al. ( 22) argue that clinical laboratories and simulation substantially reduce student anxiety and fear. By choosing rare or unusual examples or scenarios, a student becomes acquainted with a wide range of interventions and skills, thus enhancing the effectiveness of education ( 23). In a research by Croxon et al. ( 24) the students made positive comments and strongly argued that simulation and the clinical laboratory procedure have prepared them for what they will later face in the hospital.

The basic nursing skills including intramuscular and intravenous drug administration, venipuncture, nasogastric catheter placement, colostomy care, bladder catheterization, oxygen therapy, and basic life support lessons can be taught by the use of simulation.

Another basic parameter of simulation is the possibility of assessing student performance, since the step-by-step learning of a skill allows repetition and testing thereof ( 25).

Simulation Types in Nursing Education

Through the use of simulation, an attempt is made to replace real patients with virtual standardized patients, or technologies and methods capable of reproducing actual clinical scenarios for therapeutic and educational purposes. These processes include, among others, plain demonstration of a certain scenario on a computer (cognitive test), simulation of a nursing skill, or carrying out of an integrated process. The basic types of simulation in nursing education include the following ( 15, 25, 26, 27):

Use of high-fidelity mannequins or technologies.

These constitute body blocks or body part blocks with characteristics of life, which can respond to actions or interventions by the students. They are used for representing the clinical reactions-symptoms of a patient and for describing any conditions surrounding a case, for example, tool stocks available (e.g., dressings, syringes, etc.) and time limits available.

Low-fidelity mannequins.

Use of low-fidelity mannequins capable of performing a small number of particular tasks or processes, for example, a limb for catheterization of a vessel, or mannequin for CPR learning.

Partial task simulators.

This category includes models (e.g., hands-arms) used for implementing a clinical skill-task that may be repeated by students. Typical examples include "limbs" for intravenous catheterization of a vessel, head and chest mannequins for placing an airway and faux leather cushions for practicing wound suturing.

Virtual reality. Virtual reality is increasingly being adopted as a simulation tool. In health professions, the simulation of virtual reality uses computers and standardized patients to create a realistic learning and evaluation setting.

Standardized patients - Volunteers playing the roles of patients.

These are trainees behaving in a particular way for realistic clinical interactions. They are widely used for teaching and assessment in nursing education, especially for communication purposes and for the acquisition of skills, and they may provide feedback when requested.

E learning (usually knowledge testing, e.g., multiple tests).

Computer-generated simulators are representations of tasks or settings used for facilitating learning. These include a simple computer program demonstrating the operation of a device, e.g., anesthetic machine, or something highly complicated, e.g., a detailed setting for virtual reality, where the participants interact with virtual patients or other healthcare professionals.

Hybrid Simulation.

This type of simulation is defined as a type where two or more simulation types are combined to produce a more realistic simulation experience. A typical example is the use of portable devices by standardized patients, where students are able to perform certain procedures while interacting with a real person. For example, a standardized patient may fix a suture training model (cushion) on his/her arm, where the trainee can suture a wound; thus, while giving the trainee the opportunity to obtain informed consent, explain the procedure, etc.

Benefits of patient simulation in Nursing Education

Simulation, as an evidence-based educational technique and process, firstly appeared when it became difficult for nurses working in a hospital to acquire clinical experiences. Simulation helps to address any limitations related to the clinical setting (including availability of patients, security issues etc.), promote teamwork and solidarity among students, and implementation of a protocol for the attainment of a skill. It is based on a scenario, where learning becomes interactive, allows feedback between the educator and the other members of the team, and promotes clinical reasoning and critical thinking in the team ( 28).

The majority of students are familiar with advanced computer technology and computer games. As a result, there is relative comfort with certain types of simulation using computers, mainly in providing audio and video feedback in real time, thus helping a student even more to perform a skill. The controlled and totally safe setting (both for the patient and for the student) of a laboratory that a professor may operate, constitutes another factor leading a student to success and knowledge. In addition, an activity may be interrupted for discussion and correction and be continued later. Video recording of a skill significantly contributes to the evaluation of an activity by both the student and the professor ( 29).

According to Cook et al., ( 30) health care systems are reinforced by simulation, because there is an interprofessional development of the team of healthcare professionals, an overall improvement in the performance of activities and health care skills, and an enhancement of the competence of healthcare professionals in a safe setting. Error analysis, discussion on communication-related issues, and missed opportunities for optimizing health care may become topics for feedback.

Simulation helps to develop different scenarios requiring the use of both clinical skills and critical thinking skills by nurses, in order to solve problems. In addition, according to Savarese ( 31) there is a trend towards replacing the clinical experience of the hospital with simulation programmes, even by fifty per cent, in the curricula of nursing schools.

The factors that may determine the attainment of learning outcomes and promote the self-confidence of students include the area where simulation is performed, psychosocial contact and interaction of students, organization and elements of teaching ( 32). Teaching focuses on students, and it is a process of experiential exercise centered on training and cooperation with others ( 33).

Through simulation, nursing students may practice their abilities and clinical skills, make errors that will not be fatal for the patients, and repeat the process (more than once) leading to mastery. In addition, they have time to reexamine and reflect on their performance, and reach a kind of review, which is necessary for completion of the process ( 34, 35).

This process provides an opportunity for active participation of students, and it is focused on error prevention, immediate feedback, and creation of an appropriate training environment, where students will feel and actually be psychologically safe, will communicate among them, and be able to review the process. Participation in small groups allows the students to directly monitor the attempts made by their classmates, improve their methods and enhance solidarity among them ( 36, 37). Simulation establishes a bridge between theory and clinical practice. Students are able to understand a skill, because they can see it and apply it on a patient simulator. Thus, critical thinking develops and clinical decision-making skills lead to substantial learning experiences ( 38).

It is well documented that simulation-based training helps to enhance communication skills, the ability to cooperate with other members of the interdisciplinary team, the ability to manage complex situations, and to enhance self-efficacy and understanding of interpersonal relations ( 39, 40).

According to a study by Crowe et al.,( 41) through simulation it is possible to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, promote communication skills, and enhance confidence and self-reliance of nurses in the exercise of their duties. Therefore, this reduces their stress, makes them feel more confident, enhances their psychomotor skills, and makes them ready to apply nursing interventions in a clinical setting.

Currently, simulation-based training as an educational tool in nursing science has multiple uses. The most recent applications include continuing vocational training, just-in-time training, and development of a team spirit. Educators play a significant role in regulating the entire procedure and through their knowledge and skills, they facilitate learning. Educators also ensure that an atmosphere of psychological safety is created, in order to enable students to act in this setting, thus reducing other concerns and problems they may have ( 42).

Limitations on the use of simulation in Nursing Education

There is a widespread use of simulation in nursing schools and it continues to spread, since the benefits are enormous. However, there are certain limitations in the teaching of nursing skills through simulation, the most significant of which include the following:

Simulation as technique and holistic nursing care as philosophy constitute two different components of nursing courses, which have been merged in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills required for patient care. Simulation provides opportunities for acquiring and applying knowledge and skills through the use of simulators, standardized patients and virtual settings. However, it is impossible to approach a patient as a whole, as a biopsychosocial human being ( 43).

Another limitation of simulation training is that sometimes not all variables related to an emergency in a live environment are included. Simulation training is carried out in a controlled setting managed by the educator, who may stop and restart a process, which is impossible in real life ( 29).

Simulation is a process trying to resemble real life, but it is not real. Its realism depends on the fidelity of the simulator, the setting, and the description of the scenario. As advanced simulation models may be, there will always bean imperfect imitation of human systems. As well trained the students may be, whenever they are called to apply a skill in real time and conditions, they often are extremely stressed or "freeze", being unable to successfully complete the procedure. Therefore, schools are trying to update different simulation programmes, investing in machinery, or using actors in roles of patients, in order to add plausibility in their reactions. In addition, training of professors in simulation processes and technological issues is required. As realism increases, the effectiveness of simulation and scenario as a training tool also increase ( 44, 26).

Training of nurses in whatever way possible, especially if such training is achieved by means of simulation, is not a low-cost effort. The equipment and operation of a modern laboratory demand quite large expenses. Purchase of computers and high-fidelity simulation models and maintenance there require considerable funds. Amortization of such equipment will be achieved through an appropriate and rapid training of students and, consequently from the health care provided to patients by well-trained nurses ( 45, 46).

Familiarization of educators with technology, in general, is a necessary condition for smooth operation of the simulation programme and appropriate training of students. Being a simulation educator is different from being a professor in a nursing school. However, such distinctions are rarely made and health educators are inadequately trained and have limited skills as a result, such training is ineffective ( 47).

Incomplete training is another significant limitation that may appear in simulation. A poorly designed scenario may result in negative learning. For example, if certain physical reactions are missing during the simulation process, the students may neglect them and fail to test them. Frequently, due to time constraints, simulation fails to assess some essential parameters of the health care procedure and communication. Thus, the students fail to ask for or obtain the consent of the patient to the implementation of a medical procedure, or fail to follow basic rules of communication, which are necessary for establishing personal contact and creating a healing environment ( 26).

The attitude of trainees is of great interest. The participants will always approach a simulator different from when they are in real life. There will be anxiety and concern, on the one hand, because one is aware that a certain event will occur and, on the other hand, one may not pay attention, because no one's life is in danger ( 48)

Educators and Simulation

Educators play a significant part in the successful implementation of simulation programmes. It is not assumed that a nursing professor is identified with a simulation educator. Knowledge of technology and technological applications is necessary for successfully teaching the parameters of nursing science. A study by Simes et al., ( 49) aiming at investigating the factors affecting the comfort of simulation educators in an Australian university, reported that there are four factors affecting educators: 1. Personal Barriers (including excessive stress from students' expectations), 2. Structural Barriers (including understanding of educational material, access to teaching and learning resources), 3. Human Resource Barriers (e.g., when there is no prior information and discussion on simulation programmes, and the students were simply given these programmes and they were told to use them), 4. Suggestions to address barriers (they provided suggestions for ways of addressing such barriers, including presence of a mentor, more training in simulation-related issues, carrying out of a rehearsal and creation of backup copies).

In addition, the availability or lack of resources affects the ability of educators to join simulation activities in all courses of study, according to a study by MacKinnon et al ( 50).

Some students report that the role of an educator in simulation programmes is very significant and that it must combine the role of a clinical nurse and that of an educator, because this is the only way to enhance learning and the realism of different scenarios ( 51).

McAllister et al., ( 52) present a series of suggestions for overcoming any barriers and limitations appearing in simulation and maintaining quality in clinical training, while taking practical and pedagogical issues into account. These suggestions include: providing assistance to educators in their work, enabling students to have direct access to clinical skills videos, focusing on teaching clinical skills, utilizing teams in the documentation on skill learning, learning communication skills in an entertaining and imaginative way, and improving time management and prioritization of needs for students.

3.6. The Future of Simulation in Nursing Education

>Nursing science and art constitutes a highly significant and integral part of the health care system. Nurses and their training are fundamental elements of the effectiveness of the system; therefore, special attention is paid and must be paid. Any changes in the training of nurses are interwoven with technological advances, and their training is directly affected by any technological means available for teaching.

The use of simulation as an educational strategy represents a great challenge for nursing education. Simulation may improve health care and patient safety. No patient who is alive is put at risk at the expense of the trainee. Simulation provides standardization of cases, promotes critical thinking, allows supervision of patient care, provides immediate feedback, and helps students to assimilate knowledge and experience. It is an ideal composition learning experience ( 53).

Probably the greatest change in nursing education is the introduction of virtual simulation. Continuation and development of virtual simulation constitutes a focal point for nursing science and for the progress of nursing students. This requires investment of funds in the establishment of appropriate laboratories by nursing schools, time for simulation as provided for in the curricula, and educators who are properly trained to create various scenarios and operate simulators. ( 54)

The use of virtual simulation must become a part of the overall simulation programme. Despite the fact that virtual and augmented reality are at a quite early stage, this option will rapidly spread, as soon as simulation-related technology becomes available and affordable. The quality of simulation devices will provide opportunities for training of students in skills that used to require actual educators in the past, thus opening up new opportunities for schools to reallocate their financial resources.

5. CONCLUSION

The objective of nursing education, apart from the acquisition of solid theoretical knowledge, is the acquisition of clinical skills, which are necessary for graduate nurses to be promptly integrated into the workforce. Integrated learning, critical thinking, and optimal decision-making skills help nurses to provide quality health care. This can be achieved through the inclusion of simulation in the education process. Further development of simulation, along with other educational methods may be of great assistance in the attempt made by students to become integrated and successful healthcare professionals.

Author's contribution:

All authors were involved in all steps of preparation this article. Final proofreading was made by the first author.

Conflicts of Interest:

There are no conflicts of interest.

Financial support and sponsorchip:

None.

REFERENCES

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Articles from Acta Informatica Medica are provided here courtesy of Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simulation in Clinical Nursing Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Simulation constitutes a teaching method and a strategy for learning and understanding theoretical knowledge and skills in the nursing and medical field.To review and present modern data related to this issue.Literature review of data related to the issue ...

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How Nurses Are Using Health Informatics to Improve Patient Care...

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How Nurses Are Using Health Informatics to Improve Patient Care...

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Improved Documentation

A great deal of documentation takes place automatically thanks to connected devices, which collect specific information in real time and transmit it to patient records. By looking at the documentation of a patient’s condition over time, nurses can make better decisions about how to provide care and when changes or adjustments need to be made.

Reduced Medical Errors
Patient safety is a primary concern of any health care provider, and nurses are often on the front lines of ensuring that their patients are kept safe and preventing medication errors, misdiagnoses, falls, and other problems. Health informatics provides important data that can prevent these errors; for example, an electronic record can provide information about a possible dangerous medication interaction or allergy that might not otherwise be immediately apparent. Armed with data, nurses can make quick decisions that keep their patients safe.

Reduced Costs
Medical errors cost nearly $40 billion every year, and many of those errors are preventable with informatics.
Improved Coordination of Care

Nurses are often called upon to help coordinate the care of their patients. This often means relaying information from physicians, therapists, pharmacy, billing, and more, both during care and at discharge. Without all of the necessary information, patient care could suffer. Informatics improves the coordination of this information, allowing nurses to give their patients all of the information they need, improving both outcomes and the satisfaction with care.

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Preparing for the Future of Nursing Informatics

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Preparing for the Future of Nursing Informatics

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Nursing informatics enables health care organizations to transform data into information that helps health care practitioners, such as nurses and physicians, to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. It combines nursing science, systems-driven analytics, and information science to identify, capture, manage, and share health care data. A key aim of nursing informatics is providing clinicians responsible for health care decisions with timely, accurate patient health data to deliver patient-centered care and improve outcomes.

Nursing informatics helps improve vital nursing processes like documentation, which is an important aspect of the profession and essential for effective patient care. Before electronic health records (EHRs), nurses recorded patient information on charts. Today, nursing informatics simplifies documentation and automates the transmission of patient data via connected devices to provide access by nurses, physicians, and patients.

Understanding the role of nursing informatics in nursing practice is critical for individuals to advance their health care careers. The benefits of nursing informatics include a reduction in medical errors, lower costs, improved nurse productivity, and better care coordination among nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and others throughout various care stages.

Advancements in the future of nursing informatics will center on automated patient and clinical data records, improved operations at health care facilities, simplified data collection, tracking, and analysis, and real-time access to patient information anytime, anywhere.

Nursing Informatics Future Trends

The success of nursing informatics supports a promising future in its application to nursing practice. In case study after case study, evidence demonstrates that nursing informatics positively impacts the quality of care. The results of one study show that nursing information systems improved quality through better nursing documentation processes, enhanced patient care planning, and optimized workflows. Another case study shows the correlation between the technology used to administer medications and reductions in medication errors, which, in addition to improving patient safety, reduced anxiety in nurses and increased job satisfaction.

Which nursing informatics future trends are on the horizon? Increased connectivity will improve knowledge sharing and collaboration between hospitals, doctors, and patients on a global scale. It will benefit the advancement of medical research and help in diagnosing, treating, preventing, and curing diseases and global epidemics. Faster systems that interact efficiently with each other are needed to support this future vision. But, with increased access comes security concerns, which make data security a top priority in the future of nursing informatics. Today's data breaches highlight the importance of cybersecurity in nursing. In a recent example, a hospital in Kansas paid a ransom to hackers who broke into its network infrastructure and locked access to data. Even after paying the ransom, the hospital gained limited access to the data, as the hackers tried to extort another ransom payment. Thankfully, patient treatments weren't affected.

Nursing informatics future trends also will support patient data analysis. For example, big data science is a key area of interest, according to a paper presented at the 13th International Conference in Nursing Informatics in 2016. Big data in nursing informatics is a concept that refers to the use of computational techniques to analyze large data sets to reveal patterns and trends that promote patient health and enhance the quality of care. The application of big data science in nursing informatics includes the use of advanced analytics, such as natural language processing, data mining methods, and data harmonization. These techniques enable the capture of unstructured data, identification of patterns, and integration of the data to provide insights that can be acted upon. Better decision-making can lead to improved personalized medicine and health care delivery.

How Norwich Prepares Students for Nursing Informatics

A 2016 study identified core informatics competencies across five nursing areas: clinical nursing, quality management, interprofessional coordination, nursing management, and information technology (IT) management. Individuals looking to succeed in the future of nursing informatics should seek to deepen their knowledge in these areas and enhance their advanced nursing, technological, and analytical skills.

Norwich University's online Master of Science in Nursing program and its Nursing Informatics concentration can prepare graduates with competencies essential for a successful nursing informatics-related career, including leadership, interpersonal acumen and technological skills. The following courses are part of the core curriculum and the Nursing Informatics concentration:

Advanced Nursing Role in the Delivery of Healthcare

Students learn how to assess and analyze the health care system from a global perspective. Relationships between consumers, providers, regulatory agencies, and policymakers are explored in the context of their impact on health care delivery.

Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice

Students examine evidence-based practice and decision-making theories in the context of nurse leadership. The curriculum introduces key concepts including the integration of evidence-based practice in health care, translational science, and implementation/improvement science.

Quality Improvement, Informatics, and Healthcare Technologies

Coursework introduces quality improvement science and skills in the use and implementation of informatics and health care technologies. Students examine the concepts of leadership and team building for quality improvement and have the opportunity to conduct a clinical microsystem analysis.

Theoretical and Practice Foundations of Nursing Informatics

In this concentration course, students learn how IT and nursing science improve patient outcomes through the development of a project on an individual practice site. They explore foundational concepts of nursing informatics and learn practice standards, quality improvement processes, and regulatory and accreditation standards.

Strategic Planning and Practice Applications

This concentration course explores the practical applications for planning and implementing a health care informatics system. It examines factors for successful system implementation regarding technical standards, system analysis concepts, and data management, including an overview of data analytics.

Using Informatics to Improve Nursing Practice

This concentration course teaches students to implement technology in the clinical environment while accounting for security and privacy; policy development; and testing and implementation. Students learn key concepts, such as change management, use of technology to generate new evidence, and emerging technologies in clinical practice.

Nursing Informatics Career Paths

Through the application of nursing science, IT, and analytical sciences, nursing informatics professionals help to enrich health care delivery processes and improve patient outcomes by ensuring that key technologies help better connect nurses, doctors, and patients to data and each other. As nursing informatics is a fairly new field, job growth data are as yet unavailable. But U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for related positions, such as computer systems analysts and medical and health services managers, predict growth between 9% and 18% from 2018 to 2028.

Graduates of Norwich University's online Master of Science in Nursing program and its nursing informatics concentration can pursue various roles including the following:

Clinical Informatics Specialist

As nursing credentialed professionals, clinical informatics specialists help improve health care outcomes, patient care, and relationships between patients and clinicians. Through analysis, design, implementation, and monitoring of IT and communication systems, they ensure systems effectively support patient care. Responsibilities of a clinical informatics specialist include integrating systems, resolving issues with software and hardware, recommending improvements for systems and processes, promoting data security, and training staff on the use of data to deliver patient care. The median annual salary for clinical informatics specialists is $76,935, according to PayScale data from September 2019.

Director of Clinical Services

The director of clinical services is a managerial role. These professionals lead the implementation of programs and systems and supervise staff to ensure effective delivery of patient care. With a combination of analytical, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, directors of clinical services remain current on health care regulation and often are involved in resolving a wide range of problems in their organizations, including clinical, systems, patient, and staffing issues. As managers, they manage hiring processes and budgets and drive improvement initiatives. The median annual salary for directors of clinical services is $87,161, according to PayScale data from September 2019.

Chief Nursing Informatics Officer

The role of chief nursing informatics officer (CNIO) has grown concurrently with the rising use of technology in clinical practice. The CNIO defines strategic goals for the development, implementation, and use of technologies that help meet the needs of clinicians and the organization, with a focus on ensuring effective care delivery. They often work with other senior leaders, including chief nursing officers and chief information officers. CNIOs aim to enhance patient health care experiences while meeting governmental and accrediting regulations. The role of CNIO is fairly new, but the BLS reports that chief executives in healthcare earned an average median salary of around $174, 000 in 2018.

Explore the Future of Nursing Informatics

Individuals interested in honing their advanced nursing knowledge and technological and analytical skills to assume leadership positions in nursing informatics can benefit from Norwich University's online Master of Science in Nursing program. The program's curriculum offers a broad-based knowledge of health systems and essential skills in communication, data analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, research, evidence-based practice, and management to prepare individuals for key nursing informatics roles.

Explore how Norwich University's online Master of Science in Nursing program can help advance a health care career and prepare nurses and other professionals to make a positive impact on the future of nursing informatics.
Recommended Readings Six Emerging Healthcare Technologies for Leaders in Nursing
What to Expect from the MSN Curriculum at Norwich University
How Nurse Leadership Can Help Prevent Ransomware Attacks
Sources
What Is Nursing Informatics?, HIMSS
How Nurses Are Using Health Informatics to Improve Patient Care, Electronic Health Reporter
Nursing Informatics: The EHR and Beyond, American Nurse Today
A Hospital System Improves Both Patient Care and Employee Satisfaction, McKinsey & Company
The Future of Health Informatics in 2017 - and Beyond, Electronic Health Reporter
How Nursing Informatics Is Transforming Healthcare Today, HIMSS
Kansas Heart Hospital Hit with Ransomware; Attackers Demand Two Ransoms, CSO
Nursing Informatics Research Priorities for the Future: Recommendations from an International Survey, ResearchGate
A Review of Informatics Competencies Tools for Nurses and Nurse Managers, Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics
Master of Science in Nursing, Norwich University
A Career Overview of the Nursing Informatics Specialist, Norwich University
What Is Clinical Informatics?, HIMSS
Average Clinical Informatics Specialist Salary, PayScale
Clinical Director's Job Description & Skills List, Houston Chronicle
Average Director, Clinical Services Salary, PayScale
The Role of the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer, American Nursing Informatics Association
Medical and Health Services Managers, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Computer Systems Analysts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Top Executives, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Preparing for the Future of Nursing Informatics

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Nursing informatics enables health care organizations to transform data into information that helps health care practitioners, such as nurses and physicians, to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. It combines nursing science, systems-driven analytics, and information science to identify, capture, manage, and share health care data.

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Experts say telehealth and virtual medicine are the future of healthcare

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Soma Tah

Rafiq Somani, Area Vice President- India and South Asia Pacific, Ansys explains how India can leverage simulation technology to reduce product development cost, improve reliability, performance, and speed up innovations in the Healthcare sector

Medical innovations generally take a long time, but with the ongoing pandemic crisis, there has been mounting pressure on the entire healthcare ecosystem including the healthcare solution providers, the pharma companies, the medical device manufacturers to innovate more quickly than ever before. But as the development cycles are long and the costs are high, this sudden heightened push towards innovation can make the journey unsustainable altogether.

When a patient’s life is at stake, product failure is not an option. Hence, engineers who work in the medical devices and healthcare sector face extreme design challenges sometimes, not to mention the human body is complex, and hence, the healthcare industry has some tough regulations, rightfully so, which makes it even more difficult for the engineers to develop effective products that meet the tough regulatory norms, standards.

Physical testing of the medical devices consumes time and money also. The designers may not be able to identify optimal configurations since it is difficult to physically test every possible scenario. That’s where simulation and modeling come into play- Simulation modeling provides a safe way to test and explore different “what-if” scenarios without putting production at risk.

Virtual experiments with simulation models are also less expensive and take less time than experiments with real assets. It is great for the healthcare solution providers, since they are the proven tools to address the high and unsustainable costs and time required for design and regulatory approval of increasingly complex healthcare solutions and they can also use the simulation insights to prevent risk to patients, when delivering new and advanced treatments. Here are some ways how healthcare ecosystem is leveraging simulation to bring innovations faster to market:

Medical Devices

Applying engineering simulation throughout the device development cycle and the regulatory approval process is the only cost-effective way to bring new treatments to patients faster, while meeting safety standards and satisfying time-to-market deadlines.

Clinical Applications

Clinicians are increasingly turning to extensively validated computer models of patient-specific surgical procedures to provide critically important insights during pre-surgical planning.

Pharma and Biopharma

Physics based simulation optimizes drug production processes. Application of engineering simulation and mechanistic modeling helps to scale up production equipment from lab scale to mass production, identify the best delivery route, etc.

“Medical uses for simulation are as diverse as medical specialties,” said Rafiq Somani, Area Vice President- India and South Asia Pacific, Ansys. “Companies can look at In Silico methods for everything from cardiovascular stents and pacemakers to custom 3D-printed orthopedic implants to smart wearables like insulin pumps. Medical system design benefits from simulation by not only looking at detailed behavior of a component using 3D physics-based modeling but also by efficiently evaluating the performance of the whole system and not just its parts. This is definitely an advantage over the physical testing of integrated systems and subsystems, which can be costly and doesn’t always identify all the potential issues and shortcomings,” said he.

He also explains some of the use cases in detail:

For testing medical devices

Simulation solutions enable device manufacturers to carry out more tests and gain more insights than is possible with traditional physical testing. This allows more rapid prototyping, integrated designs that function from day one and the ability to fix operational problems before going into the physical testing phase. Let us look at some examples.

Faster time to market: The new generation wearables and implantables can be brought to market faster using simulations that accurately model the body interactions with the Class II & III devices. This accelerates design and amplifies testing to meet the regulatory norms with digital evidence.

Optimize performance: Simulation can also help maximize the performance and management of medical and hospital supplies by enabling engineers to predict and understand its behavior across diverse scenarios to ensure reliable performance at an affordable price.

Validating performance: Simulation helps develop accurate physiological models that can better validate medical devices. Accurate modelling of the complexities of human or animal physiology can validate the performance of a medical device in its real working environment.

Ensure reliability: Engineering simulation can also maximize reliability of hospital equipment without compromising on the safety of the patient. Simulation reduces the risk of incurring functional problems among critical hospital equipment with large capital expenditure way before they occur.

Thus, from ideation to post-market adjustments, simulation drives better development and higher performance for medical devices.

For regulatory compliance

In order to comply with regulatory norms and minimize clinical testing, companies can take the help of simulation. “In silico approaches that are powered by physics-based simulation make it possible to shorten the regulatory approval process, while ensuring maximum patient safety. What simulation does is to avoid the costly ‘build and test’ cycles, which is the industrial practice today. For a device, virtual Design of Experiments (DoE) over full parametric space can be conducted. For certain applications like drug delivery for oncology, patient specific models can be used to build confidence for a wide range of scenarios. Regulators in many countries are encouraging medical devices companies to use Computer Modeling & Simulations (CM&S) to speed up the approval process. This can certainly be explored in India,” said Rafiq.

Indian healthcare and medical devices cos stand to gain immensely

For any nation, the ability to provide medical products that are safe and trusted not only by the doctors, but also the patients is crucial and India is no exception. With technological advancements, medical device companies also need to innovate and come up with solutions that are better, safer and cost effective.

There has been a significant growth in the healthcare and medical device sectors in India in the last decade or so but a huge gap still exists in the current demand and supply of medical devices, observed he.  “The Government of India has started many initiatives including Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) Scheme for Medical Devices 2020, introduction of Medical Parks etc. to strengthen the medical devices sector, with a special emphasis on R&D and even a 100 per cent  FDI for medical devices to boost the market. However, India still has a 75-80 per cent  import dependency on medical devices and in order to be self-sufficient, medical companies need innovation leading to reduced cost of development without compromising the safety and reliability,” said he.

Also, starting April 2020, Indian regulators have a new policy that all the medical devices available in the market need approval. A window of 36 months is given to all the companies to get their existing devices approved. Rafiq is hopeful that in these two aspects of efficient product development and regulatory approvals for medical devices, simulations can add significant value.

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Simulation is a game changer for the Medical Devices industry - PCQuest

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India can leverage simulation technology to reduce product development cost, improve reliability, performance, and speed up innovations in Healthcare

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Quantum Medical (OTC PINK: DRWN): Potential Acquisition Candidate through Disruptive HIPAA Compliant Blockchain Technology - EmergingGrowth.com

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Miami, FL-(EmergingGrowth.com NewsWire - April 3, 2018) - EmergingGrowth.com, aleading independent small cap media portal with an extensive history of providing unparalleled content for the Emerging Growth markets and companies, reports on Quantum Medical (OTC Pink: DRWN).

The U.S. healthcare sector is estimated to have spent $100 billion on IT in 2017, underlining the increasingly central role that tech plays in the healthcare sector. Though the increased digitization of healthcare has its merits-such as improved data management-it also exposes clinics, medical suppliers, health insurers and other players in the sector to the growing threat of cybercrime.

Healthcare networks hold massive volumes of accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date financial, medical and personal information of millions of Americans. As a result, healthcare data is significantly richer in value than data from retail and financial services, making the sector more attractive to hackers. According to a report on Reuters, medical data is worth 10 times more on the black market than credit card data.

Back in 2014, Community Health Systems Inc. (NYSE: CYH ), one of the largest providers of general hospital healthcare services in the U.S., was infiltrated by alleged Chinese hackers in a breach that compromised 4.5 million medical records.

Although CYH hired cybersecurity experts from a FireEye (NASDAQ: FEYE) affiliated company to look into the matter, the bigger question that went unanswered was whether smaller healthcare players with leaner cybersecurity budgets silently suffer more damaging breaches. This question is difficult to answer with precision, but Ricky Bernard, the CEO of Quantum Medical Transport (OTC PINK: DRWN) believes the threat of data breaches in healthcare is steadily increasing for big and small players alike.

"Now more than ever, there is a need to pioneer more effective and lasting solutions that enhance data protection in healthcare," added Mr. Bernard, who spoke exclusively to EmergingGrowth.com.

Quantum Medical Transport is a profitable medical technology and transportation public company based in Texas. The company grossed $1.31 million in annual operating revenue as of December 31, 2017, compared to $1.2 million the same period the previous year. "Over the past decade, our revenues have historically been in the $1.0-$1.3 million range" said Bernard. The company also recently closed its acquisition of United Ambulance LLC, strengthening its position in the medical transportation market.

However, Bernard says that the company's recent successful acquisition and healthy topline aren't its biggest accomplishments yet-rather, its bold foray into medical blockchain technology is.
Medical blockchain is a game-changer
The company recently embarked on developing a medical blockchain platform called QuantH, which aims to provide a subscription based secure encryption data sharing (Health Information Data Exchange) service to the $3 trillion healthcare sector. The company is currently raising $50 million in capital through the sale of tokens to accredited investors via a private placement.

QuantH will be the first HIPAA compliant medical blockchain platform. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data. HIPAA compliance will therefore give QuantH mainstream acceptance in the healthcare sector, something Bernard believes will significantly boost subscriptions to QuantH.

"We are pioneering blockchain-as-a-service in the healthcare sector and expect QuantH to enhance data protection and introduce new levels of efficiency in healthcare data management," he noted. "In view of our HIPAA compliance, and the pressing need for more effective ways to secure healthcare data, we expect positive market reception," he continued.

The company already has a robust B2B network of healthcare sector players in Texas that it regularly engages with technology in the course of offering its transport services. This increases the likelihood that it will successfully upsell its QuantH subscription service to existing players in its Texas network, giving it sufficient momentum to later fan out to other geographies across the country.

"I am optimistic about the number of subscriptions as demand for a more secure way of sharing and managing healthcare data is at an all-time high. Medical blockchain has been identified as a game changer, but there has been no HIPAA compliant blockchain to date. We are breaking new ground with our HIPAA compliant blockchain, something that competitively positions us to gain market leadership," said Bernard.

Medical blockchain is viewed as a game-changer in the healthcare sector due to its ability to enhance data protection in a way cybersecurity companies have not been able to do. Blockchain decentralizes data storage, making the data available to all players in the health system in a timely manner. This streamlines data sharing, lowers data management costs and improves overall service delivery.

Likewise, data on blockchain cannot be changed once it has been recorded. This boosts transparency, which is an important ingredient in healthcare. Most importantly, data on blockchain is encrypted and the real identities of parties on the ledger are replaced with unique identifiers, eliminating the risk of linking information on the ledger back to individuals such as patients and institutions such as clinics.
3 key reasons why blockchain is ideal for healthcare data protection
Owing to its merits, blockchain is gaining more acceptance in the healthcare sector. According to a recent study by IBM, 56% of surveyed healthcare executives have solid plans to implement a commercial blockchain solution by 2020. DRWN is therefore an early mover in a fast-growing space.

An article in the MIT Technology review notes that decentralized databases (blockchain) promise to revolutionize medical records, but not until the healthcare industry buys into the idea. HIPAA compliance is what will allow QuantH to get that much needed buy-in from the healthcare industry, underlining its massive commercial viability. This commercial viability is perhaps the core reason why QuantH has already aroused the interest of some of the largest tech companies on the planet, despite still being in the development stage.
Largest tech companies interested
DRWN announced in the final week of March that it had been invited by Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) to participate in the Oracle Blockchain Cloud Platform Beta program to support the development QuantH. This signals that the company's blockchain technology is gaining traction-so much so that Oracle believes it has the potential to become commercially viable and is actively supporting its development.

It is instructive to note that Oracle's cloud-based integration platform is the largest provider to banks and supply chain vendors for the transfer of information. It can easily handle the large amounts of data involved in the transmission of medical records.

The support from Oracle is the latest indicator yet that QuantH has tremendous commercial potential-a factor that will substantially increase potential returns for accredited investors who participate in the $50 million Initial Coin Offering (ICO). Commercial viability also heightens the chance that, after going live, QuantH will sign up a significant number of subscribers across the health sector.

" I am confident of two things: first, based on the amazing momentum we have garnered during the development phase, we will be able to raise the $50 million through the ICO. Second, upon commercial launch, we will be able to steadily expand our subscription base for our blockchain-as-a-service platform," said Bernard.

According to the 100 page prospectus for the ICO, which is available on the company's website, annual subscription revenue for the blockchain-as-a-service platform could hit $9 million in 2018 and grow consistently at a double digit rate to $16.13 million in 2022. Through this period, annual cost of sales will not exceed $150,000 in any given year, delivering incredible returns for ICO investors and the company at large. These projections are based upon a successful $50 million capital raise in the ICO, which is plausible given the traction that QuantH is gaining, including support from big players such as Oracle. Financial projections for QuantH; Source: ICO Prospectus

According to Bernard, the successful rollout of QuantH will secure the company income that will not only support organic growth across the whole business with a view to growing current profitability, but also support mergers and acquisitions in the electronic health records (EHR) space.

"We see a lot of synergies between our new strategic direction in medical tech and existing companies in EHR. Once income from our QuantH blockchain-as-a-service platform is sustainable, we will explore mergers and acquisitions in the EHR space," he said.

The outlook for DRWN is bullish in light of the increasing likelihood that QuantH will have a successful commercial rollout that will help power the company's broader objective of consolidating its position in medical tech through both organic growth and acquisitions of EHR players.
Tables could turn
However, there is a likelihood that the tables could turn. Although the company is exploring acquisitions in the EHR space, it could actually end up being the one acquired by a larger player. The hunter could become the hunted.

DRWN is a potential acquisition target for two reasons. Firstly, because of the commercial viability of its HIPAA compliant blockchain technology, especially now that Oracle is supporting its development. Secondly, because of its track record as a revenue generating and profitable company with an established track record in the healthcare sector that spans over a decade.

To expound on the second point, it is instructive to note that most of the companies currently getting into blockchain are completely new entrants. These are development stage companies with no sales and little-known top executives. While some are legitimate, others have been flagged down by regulators, who have warned investors that they lack solid fundamentals and could be using blockchain as nothing more than a buzzword. These are not the qualities that typically make a company an acquisition target.

In contrast, DRWN is well established, profitable and properly governed-going by its historical performance and publicly available audited results. The fact that it is participating in the Oracle Blockchain Cloud Platform Beta program further demonstrates that it has both the in-house talent and polished corporate reputation needed to be an acquisition target. It makes greater sense for large caps interested in medical blockchain to buy DRWN than the dozens of untested players mushrooming in the blockchain space. - Further, it's easier to acquire the technology than to reinvent it.
Conclusion
When a new technology such as blockchain gains mainstream acceptance, the historical market entry strategy by large caps has predominantly been the acquisition of promising emerging growth companies that have existing familiarity with the technology.

This positions DRWN very competitively as it puts it on the radar of deal hungry large caps, especially now that has an existing working relationship with Oracle. Based on this working relationship, Oracle could very well end up being a potential suitor in future.

Alternatively, the support from Oracle could also serve to whet the appetite of other big players such as IBM (NYSE: IBM) and General Electric (NYSE: GE), which both have vested interests in blockchain and healthcare, respectively. IBM has produced a tremendous body of research on blockchain and currently has several blockchain patents under its belt, while GE has previously said that it is looking "very actively " into blockchain in light of its potential to protect the integrity of medical data.

DRWN's current market cap of less than $5 million grossly underrepresents the company's underlying value. It is a potential acquisition target pioneering a HIPAA compliant medical blockchain platform that is commercially viable. It also has healthy financials and is generating $1 million plus in sales without its game-changing block-chain-as-a-service platform. Overall, sales could grow fivefold in the first of year of the service. Once all these factors are priced into the stock, the uptrend could be historic.
About EmergingGrowth.com
EmergingGrowth.com is a leading independent small cap media portal with an extensive history of providing unparalleled content for the Emerging Growth markets and companies. Through its evolution, EmergingGrowth.com found a niche in identifying companies that can be overlooked by the markets due to, among other reasons, trading price or market capitalization. We look for strong management, innovation, strategy, execution, and the overall potential for long- term growth. Aside from being a trusted resource for the Emerging Growth info-seekers, we are well known for discovering undervalued companies and bringing them to the attention of the investment community. Through our parent Company, we also have the ability to facilitate road shows to present your products and services to the most influential investment banks in the space.

All information contained herein as well as on the EmergingGrowth.com website is obtained from sources believed to be reliable but not guaranteed to be accurate or all-inclusive. All material is for informational purposes only, is only the opinion of EmergingGrowth.com and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities. The information may include certain forward-looking statements, which may be affected by unforeseen circumstances and / or certain risks. This report is not without bias. EmergingGrowth.com has motivation by means of either self-marketing or EmergingGrowth.com has been compensated by or for a company or companies discussed in this article. Full details about which can be found in our full disclosure, which can be found here, https://emerginggrowth.com/5647386697-3 Please consult an investment professional before investing in anything viewed within. When EmergingGrowth.com is long shares it will sell those shares. In addition, please make sure you read and understand the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and the Disclosure posted on the EmergingGrowth.com website.

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Quantum Medical (OTC PINK: DRWN): Potential Acquisition Candidate through Disruptive HIPAA Compliant Blockchain Technology - EmergingGrowth.com

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Miami, FL-(EmergingGrowth.com NewsWire - April 3, 2018) - EmergingGrowth.com, aleading independent small cap media portal with an extensive history of providing unparalleled content for the Emerging Growth markets and companies, reports on Quantum Medical (OTC Pink: DRWN). The U.S.

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Increased accuracy
Voice-recognition systems, now in their fourth generation, are much improved over earlier generations. The systems now coming to market are "speaker independent," which means they require little training. They also have larger vocabularies and are more accurate.

Emergency room physicians at Mercy Hospital see 30 to 50 patients per day and compile a report on each case. With the voice-recognition systems, physicians can create and print a standard one-page report in about two minutes.

The system also makes use of "trigger phrases," a form of verbal shorthand that enables the physician to compile a report using fewer words in less time. A single word or phrase can trigger an entire report segment that can be modified to describe the condition of individual patients.

A handwritten report, which would not be as complete, typically takes two to three times as long, Holbrook said. The alternative would be to dictate the report into a tape recorder and have it transcribed, returned for corrections and typed in its final form, a process that often takes up to five days. Transcription costs amounted to $75,000 to $100,000 per year, Holbrook said.

The system also automatically inserts codes that are required by insurers to determine reimbursement of medical expenses. "The cost of assigning billing was $50,000 to $100,000 per year," Holbrook said.

One unexpected benefit of using voice-recognition systems is that by producing more polished reports, the physicians have been able to save about $4,000 per doctor on annual malpractice premiums. "Once in every 30,000 times -- twice a year in our case -- a lawyer will send for a transcipt of a report," Holbrook said. "Many cases are lost where the care was good but the documentation was terrible. The reports won't stop malpractice suits, but our model is that it should cut them by approximately 45%."

Insurance companies that specialize in malpractice insurance are offering discounts of up to 40% on premiums to physicians who have completed a course in risk management. The physicians must also consistently produce case reports that fit specific guidelines. Automating report-writing procedures has facilitated meeting guidelines, Holbrook said.

Doctors save time writing without pens; Physicians discover that using voice-recognition technology can omit paperwork. https://advance-lexis-com.ju.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:3S8G-HF30-000C-T225-00000-00&context=1516831.

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Introducing VoiceFirst: Voice Recognition in Healthcare

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With cutting edge artificial intelligence upgrading our lives above mediocrity, voice technology emerges out to be the healthcare stalwarts of the future. From handling follow up calls to medical triage, booking appointments, and even diagnosis, VUI (Voice User Interface) is the perfect combination of medical knowledge with technology and tones of conversation to be the voice of the healthcare industry.

Opportunities, When Voice Search Associates With Healthcare

Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant have opened up a myriad of opportunities that could be infused with the healthcare industries. Voice technology helps you do everything from setting up alarms for shopping online, to keeping track of your daily timetable. More than 30% of online browsing is through voice searches today, and the use of voice-assistant apps for multiple purposes is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Voice e-commerce or voice shopping has reached over $2 billion in value by the end of 2017, and it will be $40 billion by 2022.

The healthcare industry can also take advantage of the voice search technology to run the front-end and back-end medical operations smoothly. Orbita, with its WYSIWYG editor for creating apps, comes as a boon to insurers, pharma companies, and medical centers. Combining Artificial Intelligence with deep learning, Machine Learning, and natural language made it possible for voice technology to use different accents and ways of speaking. VUIs can go a long way in analyzing behavioral health issues, streamlining patient documentation, and providing optimal personal care to patients. Global healthcare brands like Mayo Clinic, the American Red Cross, Merch, Amgen are strategizing on developing their voice technology products. Mayo has been monetizing health and wellness content to "seamlessly facilitate omnichannel consumer journeys."

What Is Voice Technology?

Voice-based technology is the future. It is the program that interprets, receives, and carries out the voice commands. It enables the human to interact with technology. Voice-recognition technology is much more than basic voice commands like setting up alarms, providing weather information, and organizing the things in a smart device. It has become a gaining ground to most of the industries for internal and external operations.

The healthcare industry is continually progressing towards better patient care by integrating digital solutions. Voice search technology in healthcare will have a significant impact on the patients' care, leading towards personalized care. The process of healthcare voice technology involves interacting with the patient as a consumer and a human at ground zero level. Voice technology goes beyond the transactional Question-Answer session and engages patients in an interactive conversation.

How Does It Work?

Voice searches help in everything from diagnosis to improving documentation. Below is the step by step process of developing a new voice technology:

Step 1:
The problem statement is given to the voice designers, who now build the texture and rhythm of the conversation.

Step 2:
The focus is on the workflow and the ultimate goal. The content is obtained from trusted content providers to enable a smooth flow of clinical-grade content.

Step 3:
The voice designer drafts a script with dialogues, probable responses from the patients, and the content of the call. Thus, the highly branched decision trees are planned.

Step 4:
The developer builds the code, and the actor records the responses.

Step 5:
Appropriate tones with the required modulation are selected.

A voice that would motivate a patient to give up smoking might be different from the one that is dealing with a patient suffering from coronary diseases. The complexity and humanness of the VUI are what differentiates it from chatbots.

You can use the technology for multiple purposes. For instance, the smart voice tech assistant can help to capture clinical notes, while updating Electronic Medical Records and working silently in the background. It allows medical professionals to focus more on the patients than fill up forms.

Voice Search And Market Statistics

Do you know that the global market for voice search devices grew by an astounding 187% in the last three months of 2018? Voice search is getting popular, and so is the demand for quality voice applications for healthcare. A report from Edison Research and NPR shows that 53 million people in the United States own a smart speaker, mostly Amazon Echo or Google Home. predicted that 30% of web browsing would be via voice by 2030.

So why not tap the potential and implement in healthcare startups, making them smart and technically advanced. Boston Children's Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre have already harnessed the benefits of voice search using platforms like Aiva Healthcare and Sopris Health.

Is Voice Technology The Best Fit For Healthcare?

Voice recognition technology in healthcare is a revolutionary approach. Let us understand how it is the best fit for healthcare:

i. Speed

Compared to logging in to a workstation or opening up an app, voice technology offers a much more speedy and efficient way to provide you with the solution. Be it the dosage of the medicine or some quick advice on a health issue, voice search has emerged successful with its speed and accuracy.

ii. Location

Choosing the proper location for placing the smart speaker is essential. If placed at too lonely a sight, fetching it for emergencies may pose a problem, whereas in hospitals, the ambient noises may generate unnecessary responses.

iii. Reliability

Being able to trust the source is essential, and voice tech can help to do just that. Voice apps can help indicate sources quickly, and help people know which sources to trust and which do not. Most voice tech apps work directly with clinicians on the content to ensure better and accurate results.

iv. Compliance and Security

Having an organization's security and compliance teamwork in a voice project is sure to help in better implementation. Healthcare organizations need to invest in solutions that are HIPAA compliant, and voice-based applications can do what they aim to do while being legally compliant.

Problems That Voice Technology Can Solve In Healthcare

The prime reason behind voice technology upholding the healthcare industry is its ability to solve the different issues.

Voice Technology Applications

Voice applications for the healthcare are on their way to routing the appropriate care service to patients.

1 Used to Diagnose Better

Taking down notes and retrieving important data can become more manageable. Not only physicians can take down notes through voice, but nurses can also get access to essential patient data with simple voice commands.

2 Help to Document Properly

Voice apps can ask questions to patients in a bid to help track patient behavior daily. This can, in turn, help monitor patient health better. Also, for medical professionals, voice apps can identify billing codes and offer clinical decision support, saving up more time.

3 Improve Interactions with Patients

Creating a positive user experience is vital to the healthcare industry. Voice-enabled mobile apps or voice recognition software can help patients with everything from appointment booking to eligibility checks and carrying out back-end tasks efficiently.

4 Improving Staff Productivity

AI-powered Voice tech can help understand where the staff is stressed out, and help the management to make the right changes. For instance, the devices can see the tone and pitch of nurses when dealing with patients, to understand the stress level.

Benefits

The healthcare providers, individual doctors, insurance companies, pharmacies can reap the benefits offered by voice search technology in healthcare as mentioned hereunder:

Digitization of the Healthcare Industry

Reaching out to the entire patient population, handling their appointments, medical triage, booking appointments for their clinical tests can be voluminous a task for the care-providers of the healthcare centres. So why not digitise it? The entire chain of communication and streamlining patients is the onus of voice technology when Orbita wields its smart power.

11.3 million people in the senior age group section suffer from loneliness, and 1.3 million reside in nursing homes with curtailed independence. Voice technology-based healthcare apps like Podlife, Reminder Rosie are no wonder the remedy for such aged group to monitor their daily routines, reminding them to take medicines and providing them healthcare tips.

A 2012 National Health Interview Survey shows that 1 out of 12 children between 3 and 17 years, and about 17.9 million adults have speech disabilities. A World Health Organisation study estimates that 466 million people suffer from hearing impairments. The tryst of voice technology with healthcare, yielding Talkitt, Voxello, VocaliD forms the modern Braille system by comprehending nonstandard speech and providing live subtitles.

Redefining Health

Better and improved healthcare industry is on the go to renovate the conventional healthcare modes. Artificial intelligence backed tools, smart and friendly Alexa, voice apps with medical proficiency are dominating the market. The integration of voice technology with the medical arena can bring about revolutionary changes. From understanding patient behavior to comprehending the effects of the drug, recognizing health emergencies and setting up appointments, voice technology will lead to a paradigm shift in the present model of the healthcare industry.

So pull up your socks! The next time you receive a follow-up call from a hospital may not be someone of flesh and blood. It may be a chatbot trained to converse with you and give you pills for a happy and healthy life. Talk to one of our representatives to integrate customized voice technology solutions for your business.

Author's Bio

Shailendra Sinhasane (Shail) is the co-founder and CEO of Mobisoft Infotech. He has been focused on cloud solutions, mobile strategy, cross-platform development, IoT innovations and advising healthcare startups in building scalable products.

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Voice Technology: Reinventing Healthcare and Exploring More Possibilities

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With cutting edge artificial intelligence upgrading our lives above mediocrity, voice technology emerges out to be the healthcare stalwarts of the future. From handling follow up calls to medical triage, booking appointments, and even diagnosis, VUI (Voice User Interface) is the perfect combination of medical knowledge with technology and tones of conversation to be the voice of the healthcare industry.

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In recent years, voice recognition technology has been developed for a number of applications. In the healthcare field, this is often used to help patients with cognitive impairments and those who have difficulty using their hands or fingers due to injury or disability. The introduction of this new type of technology will make it much easier for physicians to listen to patients with hearing impairments or those who speak a different language. It can also help them deal with other issues like getting information at the same time as they are performing an exam. It sounds like something out of science fiction but in reality, voice recognition software already exists and is being used successfully today by many people around the world - including speech therapists!

This blog post will explore what voice recognition technology is and how it could be used to improve the quality of care we give patients every day. It's time to talk about how we can leverage voice recognition in healthcare in order to ensure patient safety and satisfaction with their medical experience!

So let's get started!

What is voice recognition technology and how does it work?

Voice recognition technology converts a spoken word into a command or text entry. The technology is however not just limited to recognizing the spoken word. It includes recognition of emotions in speech, speaker identification, and assessment of language skills. It can also be used to convert speech into text for use in applications such as search engines.

Voice recognition technology enables computers to recognize human voices and understand what they mean. Technology has revolutionized the way we interact with computers, allowing us to command computers with relative ease when in use.

For example, when you say "jump up" on your smartwatch, the watch jumps up according to your command. Likewise, when you dictate "turn off Christmas lights" on your smartphone, the phone turns off according to your request. Read about AI implementation in eCommerce.

What is the benefit of using speech recognition technology in healthcare?

Voice recognition in healthcare has been widely used and as it provides an opportunity for patients to receive care from home. There are many advantages of using speech recognition technology in the healthcare industry.

The following are some of the benefits:

Speech recognition technology decreases the need for written documentation as it can be used as a medical tool and form of communication between health care providers and patients

Face-to-Face interaction: It allows the patient to remain connected without face-to-face contact

Language dependability: Speech recognition technology can help with language barriers which can be a huge barrier for those who don't speak either English or Spanish fluently

Dispute-free communication: Speaks for the patient and can help with communication issues so it Increases communication between patients and their families

A variety of communication methods: Supports patients who are not able to communicate using traditional methods

A more accurate diagnosis and documentation: Speech recognition speeds up the process of documentation and can reduce errors related to transcription by providing accurate medical information.

Doctors can spend more time doing what they do best: healing people's health problems. With voice-enabled devices, they can spend less time searching through complicated menus on touch screens or typing in long search phrases

Accuracy and speed: The accuracy of voice recognition makes diagnosis faster because it cuts down on errors made while keying information into computers, which can result in misdiagnoses.

Having difficulty reading prescriptions: Voice recognition makes communication easier for patients who may have difficulty reading or understanding information that's presented to them on paper

How does voice technology affect healthcare?

In healthcare, voice technology helps doctors notice problems sooner and have a better chance of fixing them. In warehouses, voice recognition in healthcare can identify the location of an item in an instant. And for people who can't type or write, voice technology is a remarkable tool that gives them more opportunities online.

Some popular Voice assistants in healthcare are as follow:

More and more, healthcare professionals are using voice technology in inpatient care. In a hospital, a doctor might check a patient's vital signs by asking Alexa or Siri, "What is the patient's blood pressure?" This kind of direct communication between doctor and assistant reduces transcription time and mistakes. Voice recognition in healthcare

can also open doors for people with communication barriers by allowing them to talk online, call for an appointment, or search for information.

How is voice-activated software used in health and social care?

Voice-activated software technology in healthcare is being used to cut down on patient monitoring errors that usually happen when a dozen people are present. There have been several instances where a hospital was not aware of a patient's death because they did not check the room - and were thus never alerted to take inventory before throwing out their food, linens, and clothes.

It is a known fact that in a typical hospital setting, where there are ten to twenty caregivers involved in patient care, errors happen. There have been many cases in which a hospital was not aware of a patient's death because they did not check the room and were thus never alerted to take inventory before throwing out their food, linens, and clothes.

Voice-activated software technology in healthcare can help reduce these errors from happening by cutting down on what is called "sheep counting". When staff members know that they need to pay attention to each patient and provide them with care, it becomes harder for them to get distracted and make mistakes. It can also reduce the risk of these expensive mistakes occurring by recording notes simply by speaking them. Also, a voice assistant can also improve the patient experience while in the hospital. Early applications included automating simple tasks, such as allowing a patient to order lunch or have their blood pressure checked without having someone present at all times.

Examples of successful implementation at hospitals and other health care facilities:

Oregon Health & Science University is a large hospital in Portland, Oregon. When they first deployed the OHSU new voice technology, they were only able to interact with the software by typing commands. This made it difficult for patients to use the app, so they worked with it for over six months until they finally had a solution.

The successful implementation of this technology has also caused some hospitals to expand into other areas that it can be used for. They have implemented Voice Technology at different hospitals in India to help patients who are deaf or mute. For example, one hospital in Delhi is using voice technology to assist deaf-mute patients to find doctors and get lab results back faster.

Another example is the University of New South Wales HINARI Program, which was established in 2005 to improve patient care at rural hospitals in Africa. It uses voice technology to connect medical personnel with doctors who are specialists for common surgeries. This allows more patients have access to the help they need because specialized surgery is not readily available where they live. In fact, the program has seen a 67 percent increase in surgery at rural hospitals across East Africa.

Now that voice technology is becoming more common, it's only a matter of time before everyone will have access to healthcare assistance even if they are thousands of miles away from home. Voice technology is not only prevalent in the United States but has started to gain a foothold in other countries as well.

Drawbacks and limitations to using voice recognition for healthcare

Inaccuracy in voice dictation

Inaccuracy in voice dictation can have many consequences for the doctor and the patient. Inaccurate documents from a doctor may lead to medical malpractice claims against him or her, making them liable for damages caused by their negligence. Patient records with inaccurate data will lead to completely incorrect diagnoses, which could either prolong or exacerbate their illness.

Noise from multiple conversations in a room

It can be difficult for speech recognition to pick up your words if there is too much background noise. This is one reason why doctors should try to speak as softly as possible when dictating to the computer, especially if they are in a place with other people talking.

The impact of accents and dialects on word recognition

Accents and dialects could impact word recognition because the voice recognition software has to be trained for a specific language. For example, if a doctor speaks with an accent from Ireland but is using an American voice-recognition system, it may have difficulty understanding what the doctor is dictating because the system was trained on different accents or dialects.

Resistance from patients to being recorded

One major drawback to using voice dictation is that some patients may not want to be recorded because of their privacy concerns. They may not want to have their conversations with the doctor go on record, so they may talk more quietly or refuse to speak altogether. This could be a serious issue for people who are in rehabilitation centers or mental institutions, where it's difficult for doctors to conduct live-voice interviews with patients because of the lack of privacy.

What is the technology that is used for voice recognition known as?

"Automated speech recognition (ASR) is a type of computer technology that turns spoken words into text. Two popular types of ASR are "conversational speech recognition" and "command and control speech recognition." Conversational (also known as continuous) speech recognition takes the form of speakers talking to their own computers, whereas command and control (also known as discrete) use recognized commands such as those found in call centers."

Voice recognition is a new and exciting technology that has the potential to assist with healthcare in many ways. One of the main benefits of voice recognition for healthcare providers, such as doctors or nurses, is that they can dictate notes into their computers without having to take time out from patient care. This allows them to spend more time on personal interactions or other tasks while still getting all their work done efficiently. Patients also benefit because it's easier than ever before for them to get help if they're not feeling well by using an app on their phone where voice dictation software will transcribe what they have said aloud so someone else can read it back and see if there are any concerns about symptoms or medication options. The only downside we've found through our research is that voice recognition technology is still fairly new, so there are some drawbacks that need to be worked out before it can replace traditional written dictation. We think that for now, this technology should be used as an option instead of the only method because if errors occur then the patient's safety could be put at risk. Talk to our expert to know more.

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Voice Recognition Technology For Effective Healthcare - FortySeven

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In recent years, voice recognition technology has been developed for a number of applications. In the healthcare field, this is often used to help patients with cognitive impairments and those who have difficulty using their hands or fingers due to injury or disability.

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Igor Custodio João, … +2 … , Bernd Schwaab

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Journal of Econometrics • Available online 6 May 2022

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Richard Feynman (1918–1988), an American theoretical physicist, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics.
Three decades after Feynman’s untimely death a group of physicists came to understand at least some of quantum mechanics and demonstrated the feasibility of quantum computers on 19 September 2019 at Google’s headquarters. The impact that quantum computing will have on health care is difficult to grasp, but it may be a tool, perhaps the best tool, to increase our understanding of the intricacies of genomics, individuals’ physiology, pharmacology, and several other areas of medicine and health care.

In radiotherapy, the quantum computer may allow simulations of the optimal radiation plan to minimize damage to surrounding tissues and body parts.

In drug research, the quantum computer could save years of development time and billions of dollars in the complex work of drug design, potentially advancing the search for cures for a range of disorders. In addition, modeling molecular interactions of proteins encoded in the human genome may lead to new drugs.

In diagnostics research and disease screening, the quantum computer may be able to collect large amounts of patient data using pattern recognition; it may also significantly improve artificial intelligence in machines.

In imaging, quantum sensors may improve MRI machines to be able to look at the molecular level, giving clinicians more accurate images.

In genomic medicine, quantum computers may lead to quick sequencing of DNA, opening up the possibility of personalized medicine.

In the still-not-well-understood area of protein folding, these computers may lead to new therapies.

In health care data collection, quantum mechanics and the related computer power may assist on several levels, including with data storage, data transmission, and data security.

Reference:
https://bcmj.org/blog/quantum-computing-health-care