TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- Capital Regional Medical Center is going digital.
The staff there is using a new app, all about serving patients better.
"It's really all about patient safety. It's all about making sure we do the right thing with the right patient, and technology helps to provide that for us," said Chief Nursing Officer Ann Smith.
Technology now has the staff at Capital Regional Medical Center combining patient care and smartphones.
The hospital is a beta-testing facility for the new iMobile app. It helps nurses and doctors throughout the hospital communicate quickly and efficiently.
"It cuts down on a lot of phone calls that we generally make now. The physicians can get text messages in regards to a patient, so that they can actually look at that text message immediately. And the nurse that sent that text message will have the ability to know that [the doctors] actually got that message," said Smith
The app follows the patient for their entire stay at Capital Regional, from the time they arrive at the Emergency Room to when they're discharged, so doctors can make sure they're getting the best care possible.
"If I have a patient...in the emergency room that's going to be transferring to an in-patient unit, I have the ability for the ER staff to look to see who's going to be assigned that particular patient and actually text them 'hey this patient is on their way,'" said Smith.
iMobile also gives medical staff up-to-the-minute info on medications and lab work, and there's no more waiting for doctors to make their rounds.
With the new app, nurses can use their phone's camera to help speed up a diagnosis.
"To take a picture maybe of a skin rash or something on the patient, you have the ability to send that to the physician immediately without the doctor having to go in and see the patient," said Smith.
Security is also top of mind when it comes to this new technology. Hospital officials say all information stored in the app is HIPPA protected and only connected through the hospital's server.
The phones used must be on airplane mode, so they're not linked to any cellular network.
As part of the beta program, Capital Regional will be involved with helping test and create even more apps that can be used in the medical field.
