by: Dr. Ravi Nerella, MBBS, MD
Currently, there are not many EHR’s that provide full or extensive integration of real time patient wave forms and related data natively into the chart that allow physicians or others on the care team the ability to view cardiac rhythms, fetal monitoring, etc.
If a physician is on call or does not have access to a computer, they have to depend on the interpretation of the waveform by the caregiver to make a clinical decision. This can be complicated by the experience of the caregiver who is interpreting the data, which can then lead to potential delays in care or unnecessary investigations for the patient.
EHR vendors are in the process of optimizing their products to allow integration of patient waveforms with access through the patient’s chart — but the likelihood of this coming to a EHR near you is at least 2-3 years away at this time.
Even in the event this becomes available, it does not address the issue of allowing physicians the ability to view this form of data when they are outside the hospital. The ability to view patient waveform data in the mobile setting is an invaluable asset to be able to provide excellent patient care that is expected in this day and age with cutting edge technology.
AirStrip Technologies has stepped in to bring a mobile solution that provides physicians the ability to view and interact with real time wave form data that sometimes is essential to provide appropriate patient care. AirStrip, with their apps for most mobile devices, provides a solution for this current gap in patient care. They have created three apps that allow for care in three critical areas of patient care, the ICU’s, potential ACS patients and potential high risk obstetric patient’s with fetal monitoring. Below we briefly describe their products. Reviews over all their offerings are forthcoming.
AirStrip Patient Monitoring provides physicians the ability to view relevant clinical data regarding patient’s in intensive care settings in an easy to use interface. The app allows integration with current monitoring systems through an interface. The apps currently have the ability to view vitals, infusions, active medications, allergies, Intake & Output and laboratory data to be viewed from within the app.
AirStrip Cardiology provides cardiologists and other physicians the ability to view EKG’s done in the ED or in the field by EMS and help them determine if a patient truly has a STEMI and facilitate improved patient care. This will allow for appropriate cath lab activations and hopefully decrease unnecessary cath lab activations. It also allows the physicians to compare old EKGs for possible new changes.
AirStrip OB provides access to fetal tracings for obstetricians similar to what the Cardiology app provides and was recently reviewed by the iMedicalApps team. We will keep you posted on further developments with Airstrip Technologies.
