Deploying iPhone for !
Nursing Care
Overview
Within healthcare institutions, nurses need to be able to communicate
quicklyand efficiently with patients, families, doctors, and other care teams.
They alsoneed to perform a range of tasks to support their patients, such as
coordinating with the broader care teams, responding to alerts and alarms,
ensuring compliance with medication administration regulations, and
documenting patients’ vitals. Deploying iPhone with third-party iOS apps
canmake it easier for nurses to accomplish these tasks, which can help
themdeliver the best carepossible for their patients. Nurses can also use
AppStore apps to access clinical reference materials and fulfill continuing
education (CME/CE) requirements right from their iPhone devices.
This document is intended to help hospital leadership teams understand
thebenefits of using iPhone with iOS apps to support nursing care, and
thetechnical considerations involved in deploying for this purpose.
Benefits
Using iPhone as a multipurpose device
Nurses are dedicated to delivering the best possible patient care. But there’s
often friction involved in daily routines that can prevent a nurse from focusing
directly on the patient. Carrying several single-purpose devices—such as
VoIPphones that deliver voice-only functionality or rolling in a Workstation
onWheels for barcode scanning of medication—can make managing daily
tasks challenging.
With iPhone and iOS apps, nurses can accomplish much more than they can
with a single-purpose device, including tasks like:
•
Medication administration. By scanning both patient and medication
barcodes, nurses can ensure that they’re administering the right medication
inevery case. If a dose is being administered for the first time, the nurse is
prompted to provide patient education.
•
Specimen collection. While collecting specimens, clinicians can use iOS
apps on iPhone to receive orders, scan barcodes, print specimen labels,
anddocument that the collection has been completed.
Deploying iPhone for Nursing Care | November 2017 1
Contents
Overview
Benefits
Using iPhone as a multipurpose device
Leveraging the iOS platform
Deployment Considerations
Align key stakeholders
Leverage Apple programs and MDM
Select a solution provider
Plan your network infrastructure
Work with your Apple Authorized Reseller
Summary
•
Mobile documentation. Documenting vitals and input/output (I/O) at the
bedside can be more efficient and accurate, and gives nurses more time to
interact with patients.
•
Wound documentation. Using the iPhone camera and a secure third-party
nursing app, nurses can capture the progress of a wound by characterizing its
type, size, color, and exudate, then document and send the images to the
EMR with patient symptoms.
•
Secure communication. Third-party messaging apps on iPhone combine
secure messaging and VoIP calls to help nurses reach the care team, both
inside the hospital and remotely, while maintaining confidentiality. These apps
can integrate with the staff directory and schedules, so nurses are able to
search for members of the care team by role, staff assignment, and current
rounding location.
•
Alert and alarm management. Using apps on iPhone, nurses can receive
instant alerts and alarms from patient monitoring systems. Alerts and alarms
can be customized to the care unit and tailored to hospital initiatives and
safety protocols.
Leveraging the iOS platform
Powering every iPhone is iOS, the world’s most advanced mobile operating
system. The iOS platform is the best choice because of its comprehensive
security, integrated hardware and software, a vast library of existing apps
forhealthcare, simple yet scalable deployment, and complete device
management options.
Today’s successful healthcare institutions view their mobile platform and its
devices as mission-critical tools—and their selection as an essential enterprise
decision. When you invest in iPhone and the iOS platform, you’re not only
choosing the best devices for the current deployment, you’re also considering
the potential for future innovation across multiple use cases.
To learn more about how Apple technologies and third-party apps are helping
healthcare providers, download Transforming Healthcare.
Deployment Considerations
Successful deployments typically have strong executive sponsorship as well
asa clear understanding of technology solution requirements. Once your
organization is aligned on your mobile strategy, Apple can help you assemble
ateam of providers that will help set up your infrastructure and deploy your
devices. This section is intended to highlight best practices and learnings
fromsuccessful deployments.
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Align key stakeholders
As you prepare to introduce iPhone as the core of your mobile nursing care
strategy, it’s critical to engage both clinical and IT leadership to develop
acommon vision for success. Many institutions find it helpful to assign a !
senior-level clinical sponsor, such as a nurse executive. This can allow your
organization to stay focused on the end user while also helping to get other
stakeholders to buy in both philosophically and financially.
Then assemble a team dedicated to your initiative, focused on being champions !
for successfully bringing mobility to your organization. Your team should include
representation from nurses, physicians, IT infrastructure, and other services
(forexample, pharmacy, lab, and transport).
Leverage Apple programs and MDM
Setting up and deploying iPhone throughout your hospital environment has
never been easier. With the following key programs from Apple and a third-
party mobile device management solution, your organization can easily deploy
iPhone and content at scale.
•
Mobile device management (MDM) allows you to configure and manage
your devices, and wirelessly distribute and manage your apps according to
your enterprise security policies.
•
The Device Enrollment Program (DEP) automates enrollment of Apple
devices into your MDM solution to streamline deployment.
•
The Volume Purchase Program (VPP) lets you purchase apps and books
inbulk and distribute them to users.
These programs and tools are covered in greater detail in the iOS Deployment !
Overview for Business and the iOS Deployment Reference.
Select a solution provider
Solution providers can help support key nursing tasks through targeted iOS
appsolutions and robust integration services.
Evaluate potential app solutions
A variety of iOS app solutions support tasks related to nursing, including secure
communications, alerts and alarm management, and medication administration.
Companies offering app solutions for nurses include PatientSafe Solutions,
Epic, Voalte, Kainos Evolve, Mobile Heartbeat, Vocera, and Vitalpac.
In evaluating a potential app solution, consider the following:
•
What specific tasks and workflows does each app solution support?
•
Does it support soft-scanning or is a sled required?
•
Does the voice solution integrate with your communications platform
andnetwork?
•
Is the app intuitive and easy to learn for new users?
Deploying iPhone for Nursing Care | November 2017 3
Sign up for integration services
Many solution providers can supply your hospital with a wide range of
integration services, including project management, clinical leads, and
technicaloversight. They can also offer live support options such as clinical
process redesign, clinical device integration, education planning, rounding
postimplementation, app configuration, troubleshooting, and upgrade
management.
Plan your network infrastructure
Every iPhone is equipped with cellular data capability. But to avoid cellular
datacharges, iPhone automatically sends and receives data via Wi-Fi when
aWi-Fi network is available. Having consistent and reliable Wi-Fi network
connectivity in the hospital is essential for optimal iPhone functionality.
Withinthe hospital environment, sensitive healthcare data also demands a
secure Wi-Fi deployment such as WPA2 networks with certificate-based
authentication.
Nurses and other care team members are inherently mobile as they move
fromroom to room. Ensuring that users move seamlessly between access
points on the same network while roaming is critical to delivering a good user
experience, especially for voice and video communications. As you plan your
network’s coverage and capacity, take into consideration the physical layout
ofthe hospital and the ways people interact in those spaces.
Assess your network performance
Your hospital’s Wi-Fi network should be able to support multiple devices with
simultaneous connections from all users throughout the entire facility. It’s
critical to assess your current WLAN environment’s readiness for deploying
iOSdevices.
Apple Professional Services can prepare an assessment of your wireless
network and deliver it directly through a reseller or solution provider. Your
assessment will indicate parts of the network that are ready, list gaps that
needto be addressed, and recommend next steps.
To learn more about recommended best practices on Cisco network
performance, download Enterprise Best Practices for iOS Devices on Cisco
Wireless LAN.
Enhance your Wi-Fi network for iOS devices
Having a consistent, dependable wireless network is critical for real-time data
access. It’s also essential for setting up and configuring iOS devices in your
hospital. If your institution uses Cisco products running AireOS 8.3 or later,
Apple and Cisco have optimized the network experience for devices running
iOS 10 or later. In addition, the Content Caching feature of macOS High Sierra
can speed up access to your hospital’s most frequently requested apps and
updates.
Deploying iPhone for Nursing Care | November 2017 4
•
Optimized Wi-Fi connectivity. Because hospital wireless networks often
need to support a high volume of traffic, optimizing Wi-Fi can have a
significant impact. As staff moves between patient rooms, iOS devices must
be able to transition quickly between wireless access points without dropping
their Wi-Fi connections, especially if VoIP calls are being made. iPhone must
also have a reliable connection to the best available access points to provide
staff with real-time access to critical health and medicationdata.
Cisco enterprise wireless networks can automatically recognize iOS devices,
enabling intelligent and efficient roaming to deliver high performance. Devices
running iOS 10 or later and Cisco wireless access points perform a unique
“handshake” that allows the devices to intelligently choose access points to
connect to and transition quickly between them.
•
Prioritized business-critical apps. By using iOS apps that developers
haveoptimized with Quality of Service (QoS) tags, IT managers can prioritize
mission-critical apps to ensure that they get the optimal level of performance.
Through app prioritization, critical health apps used by nurses, doctors, and
other caregivers get the best network resources to run optimally. For example,
a nursingVoIP appcan be givenpriorityover a streaming movie being
consumed by a guest on the same network.
Talk to your Apple or Cisco representative to get the latest information about
these networking features. To learn more, visit www.cisco.com/go/apple.
•
Content Caching. An integrated feature of macOS High Sierra, Content
Caching stores a local copy of frequently requested apps from Apple servers,
helping to minimize the amount of bandwidth needed to download content
onyour network. Content Caching speeds up the download and delivery of
software through the AppStore, the MacApp Store, the iTunesStore, and the
iBooksStore. It can also cache software updates for faster downloading to
multiple iOSdevices. Content Caching includes the tethered caching service,
which allows a Mac to share its Internet connection with many iOS devices
connected via USB.
Learn more about Content Caching.
Work with your Apple Authorized Reseller
A key step in a successful deployment is to select an Apple Authorized Reseller
to act as a trusted advisor and coordinator of many of the other deployment
activities. Your reseller will help you choose the appropriate iPhone for your
institution’s deployment, and provide various financing and support options
from Apple and others. Once you choose the iPhone model, the solution
provider will help you select the appropriate accessories for your clinical and
operational needs.
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Choose the right iPhone for your clinical and network needs
When selecting an iPhone device for deployment, take into consideration the
different technical specifications of the various models.
•
Wireless capabilities. iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7
Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus all support MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple
Output) technology. This allows them to use multiple antennas for faster data
rates, improving the reliability of the network connection. This is especially
critical for VoIP, where interruptions in connectivity can result in dropped or
missed calls.
•
Screen size. Some hospitals and nurses may prefer the larger screen size
ofiPhone X (5.8 inches diagonally) or iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, and
iPhone 6s Plus (5.5 inches diagonally), as they allow more information to
display onone screen.iPhone SE (4 inches diagonally)offers iPhone power
atthe smallest form factor. In between these two options, iPhone 8, iPhone 7,
and iPhone 6s offer a popular compromise between size and weight.iPhone 8
weighs just 5.22 ounces, yet offers a 4.7-inch Retina HD screen. For
comparison, single-purpose devices for nursing can weigh 40 percent more
and have a smaller screen.
•
Processing power. iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus run on A11 Bionic,
the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone. iPhone 7 and
iPhone 7 Plus offer the powerful A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture and
embedded M10 motion coprocessor, while iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and
iPhone SE feature the A9 chip and M9 motion coprocessor.
•
Camera resolution. All devices offer a 12-megapixelcamera. This camera
has been used by some app vendors, such as PatientSafe Solutions, for !
soft-scanning, allowing them to do barcode medication administration
without the need of a specialized sled.
Learn more about iPhone technical specifications.
Select accessories for your iOS devices
Your iPhone deployment will likely include sled and storage accessories that
provide charging, protection, barcode scanning, and device storage solutions.
•
Sled. This accessory houses iPhone like a case to add additional device
functionality. A basic sled like the mophie juice pack provides extended
battery life and added protection. Other sleds can offer mobile barcode
scanning for apps that don’t support soft-scanning using the iPhone camera.
AsReader is a modular barcode scanner that uses a magnetic connector to
enable efficient charging. The AsReader battery powers the scanner, which
allows the iPhone battery to last longer. The device’s charging station charges
both the scanner battery and iPhone.
Increasingly, solution providers are supporting soft-scanning using the built-in
iPhone camera, which reduces the cost of having a dedicated barcode
scanner.
Deploying iPhone for Nursing Care | November 2017 6
•
Storage. A storage unit serves a dual purpose—charging iPhone devices and
sleds, and securing them when not in use. Solutions such as Voalte have their
own locked box. Others, like the Griffin MultiDock, feature an open charging
station that can be stored securely in a locked supply closet.
Establish a refresh cycle for your iOS devices
iOS also supports devices that were released several years ago, giving
iPhoneahuge advantage from a return-on-investment perspective. But, as
many hospitals have learned, there are benefits to establishing refresh cycles
for mobile devices (for instance, every two to three years). Achieving regular
technology upgrades through leasing reduces compatibility issuesand
minimizes the costs associated with having multiple generations ofequipment.
In addition, leasing equipment often means paying less over time than an initial
cashpurchase.
If you’re looking to finance new iPhone devices, Apple offers many flexible
options. Learn more about Apple Financing.
Sign up for AppleCare support
For healthcare institutions that are deploying iOS devices, it’s strongly
recommended that they purchase 24/7 technical support at the time
ofdeployment. This helps ensure that Apple resources are available for
troubleshooting for your mission-critical communications or in the absence
ofadditional IT resources. AppleCare programs help protect iOS devices,
deliver advanced support for IT, and allow companies to service devices onsite.
For companies looking for complete coverage, AppleCare for Enterprise offers
all ofthe above, and more—including onsite support delivered by IBM Global
Technology Services, a worldwide Apple Authorized ServiceProvider.
Learn more about AppleCare programs.
Summary
With iPhone and iOS apps, nurses can provide care easily and intuitively, while
staying focused on patient interactions—much more than they can with single-
purpose or stationary devices. A successful iPhone deployment for nursing will
include app selection, integration services, network evaluation, and device and
accessory selection. Apple can provide deployment support through financing
and extended care programs. By streamlining how nurses communicate with
staff, access the EMR, receive alerts, and administer medication, iOS apps on
iPhone help reduce friction and increase productivity and overall patient care.
Deploying iPhone for Nursing Care | November 2017 7
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