800 Northern Devon staff go mobile

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust is rolling out a mobile working project with NDL that will involve around 800 community nurses and therapists.

The trust will make use of NDL’s universal integration technology, awiSX, and its mobile working software platform, awiMX.

The awiMX toolkit allows non-technical users to both build and distribute bespoke apps to smartphones or tablets using Android, BlackBerry or Windows operating systems.

Northern Devon Healthcare will use the software in conjunction with their bespoke in-house patient information system for community health workers.

This system will allow nurses and therapists to access and update information hosted on a back office system via devices such as smartphones or tablets, while they are visiting patients in the community.

Keri Storey, assistant director of health and social care, said: “This is our first step to creating a mobile community workforce.

"It will pave the way for us to be able to implement an electronic patient record across community and hospitals settings.

“We’ve had small-scale mobile working projects before, but before the advent of the latest generation of tablets and smartphones, devices tended to be too big or slow for staff to be able to use them effectively.

"Today’s devices are both powerful and relatively cheap, so mobile working is now a real option."

NDL’s technology means the applications will continue to work even if there is no 3G signal. Data is synchronised automatically when signal becomes available. No patient data is permanently stored on the devices.

NDL’s managing director, Declan Grogan commented: “We’re obviously delighted that Northern Devon Healthcare has chosen to use our technology. It’s incredibly exciting to see projects underway which allow mobile working to reach its true potential.”

Declan Grogan is interviewed in this week's EHI TV. He talks about a report that NDL commissioned earlier this year that predicts a 'revolution' in the mobile health market.