(English) The Use of Rugged Portable Tablets in the Medical Field

In recent years, portable rugged tablets have revolutionized the operation of medical professionals. Medical grade tablets have played a great role in improving patient care and service delivery in the medical field. Technology advancement and continuous security improvements have helped eliminate the initial concerns of safeguarding patient data privacy and compliance.

Medical professionals use medical-grade portable tablets to streamline hospital operations. It’s now easier to access all the pharmaceutical information, collect patient data, and provide real-time communication between healthcare providers and their patients from any locality.

Medical grade tablets differ from the common consumer tablets as they have additional features such as;

• They are more ruggedized to withstand the impact of drop or vibrations even when working in the field.
• They are dustproof and waterproof
• They are fitted with extra features such as barcode scanners, card readers, or RFID chips for easier scanning and tracking of different drugs and medical supplies.
• They have a unique anti-microbial coating that reduces the rate of transmission of harmful pathogens when in use.

Let’s now have a look at the several healthcare areas where medical-grade portable rugged tablets are used in the medical field.

 

1. In-patient care

With the latest technological advancement, gone are the days when all patient records were stored on paper. With portable medical rugged tablets, it’s now easier to create an electronic database of all patient information and make them available to all authorized medical professionals at any time from any location. This helps save time and eliminate human error which is very common during data entry works.

Rugged medical tablets also help in extracting medication schemes and doctor prescriptions from the records. Nurses can have a real-time consultation with the senior doctors and ask for advice when attending to patients.

For patients admitted in hospitals, they can use ruggedized medical tablets from the comfort of their hospital beds to ask any questions, make a request, choose an entertainment option, order meals, or order and view medical bills. All these medical-grade rugged tablets support wireless connectivity and are fitted with a multi-touch screen to save time and improve efficiency.

Also, to ensure maximum health safety, all rugged medical tablets and computers are designed with a strong anti-microbial coating to ensure that they can be sterilized and re-used by multiple patients.

 

2. Emergency response services

Offering emergency services is an integral part of the healthcare sector. When ambulance services are in need, portable rugged tablets help in route navigation, monitoring the patient condition, and giving feedback in real-time. Emergency response teams and doctors in hospitals are able to share real-time information regarding patient records and conditions for easier management while on the route. A secure 4G wireless connectivity makes it easier to share patient data from the field or remote areas with other health departments in real-time without compromising on their privacy.

Medical grade tablets can easily be shared by different medical professionals even those working in the field as the vehicle docking stations make it easier for them to be powered inside the moving ambulance. The device flexibility ensures there is no downtime and when there is more efficiency, medical care workers can give superior patient care services when they are on an emergency call.

 

 

3. Patient imaging and diagnosis

Rugged medical grade tablets are fitted with other integral hardware to make them multi-purpose. Some of these popular hardware options include features such as scanners, cameras, RFID sensors, GPS among other features that are essential when it comes to patient imaging and diagnosis.

They also have large storage space to store images generated by diagnostic imaging equipment like X-rays and MRIs making it easier to share the imaging results across different medical departments in real-time for faster diagnostics irrespective of the location.

Therefore, doctors and nurses can access the images in soft copy, assess them and offer the appropriate diagnosis and care to patients without having to wait for printouts.

 

4. Laboratory and pharmaceuticals

Laboratories and pharmacies are essential departments in the medical field and rugged medical tablets help to keep accurate electronic medical records. With barcode scanners and RFID readers, pharmacists can scan and track all drugs and other supplies and keep the real-time digital records in one organized place.

When patient data is easily accessible, it helps increase the accuracy of laboratory results and reduce drug prescription errors. Portable rugged medical tablets help reduce paperwork in lab and pharmacy departments and this helps in the accuracy of billing and prescriptions. Being lightweight and portable, medical professionals can easily move around in different hospital rooms with these rugged tablets and collect important patient data and issue the required prescriptions.

 

How to choose a rugged tablet for medical field applications

The use of portable rugged tablets in the healthcare sector has improved service delivery, patient safety, and performance. Medical grade rugged tablets are different from the normal consumer tablets. When buying a portable tablet for use in the medical field, there are certain features that you should look for.

These features include;

1. Medical certification

As we have said, not all portable tablets qualify to be used in the medical field. All medical portable rugged tablets must have all the necessary medical certifications such as IEC/ EN 60601-1 and 60601-1-2 that help reduce the risk of electrical shock when used in a medical setup.

When it’s fully certified, users feel much safer when using them in a medical field setup since it can withstand electrical shock and other associated electromagnetic risks.

1. Anti-microbial coating

Medical grade rugged portable tablets should have an antibacterial coating to help minimize the growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens. It’s should also not react with cleaning chemicals and have waterproof properties to ensure no liquid enters the internal structure of the tablet when wiping or spraying.

The anti-microbial coating ensures that it can be safely used by multiple patients or nurses without posing a risk of transmitting diseases or destroying internal components.

1. Anti-glare

Screen visibility and image quality are very important in the medical field. Rugged medical grade tablets must have an anti-glare solution to help diffuse the glaring light to reduce its intensity so that viewers can see the image correctly.

1. Optical bonding

Optical bonding is used on touchscreen tablets and computers to improve the quality of screen brightness, guarantee better clarity and provide screen anti-scratch features.

1. Ruggedness

Medical grade portable tablets should be strong and hardy to withstand a tough working environment. When used in an ambulance during emergency services or in remote areas when carrying out fieldwork, rugged tablets can withstand shocks, dust, water, and vibrations from the moving vehicle.

Medical rugged tablets are built to last and you should count on them to deliver high-quality performance that motivates healthcare professionals to offer better care services to patients.

Conclusion

Technological advancement and innovations are playing an important role in transforming service delivery in the medical field. Medical grade rugged portable tablets have brought convenience to the healthcare sector. Doctors and nurses can collect patient data, offer diagnosis and communicate with the patient and other professionals in real-time.

Rugged medical tablets can even in harsh environment and still deliver great results that help to save lives and transform the healthcare sector. There are many varieties of medical-grade portable tablets on the market but when buying, always go for the one which can guarantee safety, durability, and all-around functionality.