Let healthcare information technology help – we have a lot to offer

In most COVID-19 news coverage, national and state leaders talk about solutions to address this ongoing crisis. These conversations focus primarily on diagnostic or biomedical solutions, without mention of one area of innovation that offers immediate and significant assistance: information technology.

Indeed, technology – specifically, healthcare information technology (HIT) – seems left on the sidelines. It shouldn’t be, because HIT can help in many significant ways.

Imprivata has already reached out to the governors of New York and Massachusetts, among other leaders, to offer our solutions. To focus on one readily available solution, Imprivata GroundControl, which provides complete lifecycle management for shared mobile devices, is one possible tool that can assist healthcare organizations in this crisis. Imprivata GroundControl helps keep providers safe and preserve PPE resources by facilitating the rapid, simple, easy, and secure deployment of iOS devices for telehealth and virtual care, on-site, while also enabling patient access and virtual visitation. Here’s how it works:

Facilitating increased demand for telehealth and virtual care, on-site

Cutting down on contact with COVID-19 patients to the minimal necessary level is critical to reducing exposure, scaling our healthcare resources, and flattening the curve. Hospitals are now using iPads to facilitate on-site telehealth sessions where appropriate to handle certain interactions with patients kept in isolation. By providing patients with iPads during their stay, clinicians can quickly and efficiently conduct video check-ins, and Imprivata GroundControl allows organizations to automatically manage the provisioning, readiness, and digital sanitization of shared iOS device to ensure patient privacy and HIPAA Compliance. Imprivata GroundControl also reduces administrative burden by imaging devices in the right state to support telehealth, at scale. This means devices are configured for video interactions, and all of the supported and approved applications get placed on the device in a fast, repeatable way for each use.

Facilitating patient access and virtual visitation

Hospitals like the University of Rochester Medical Center are restricting visitations to curb the spread of COVID-19. To help patients and their loved ones stay in touch, URMC and others are providing iPads. With shared devices it’s imperative that each time a new patient receives an iPad, it has been returned to a “ready state.” Imprivata GroundControl allows organizations to automatically manage the provisioning and digital sanitization of shared iOS devices to ensure patient privacy and HIPAA Compliance.

These are just a few examples of new, innovative technology that helps keep our doctors and nurses safer and enhances patient care. Telehealth reduces in-person interactions between care providers and infected patients while maximizing quality of care, safety, and satisfaction. It also saves on two critically scarce COVID-19 resources: clinician time/safety and personal protective equipment (PPE). By reducing the number of in-person visits, clinicians don’t have to repeatedly don and doff PPE – which takes time and adds contamination risk every time.

HIT solutions like Imprivata GroundControl let hospitals provide the best possible patient care while limiting spread of infections and conserving PPE. These are just a few ways technology can help.

HIT has been too long on the sidelines. It’s time we got in the game and made a difference in this battle.