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Mobility to revive SA’s healthcare sector

Up until now, innovation within healthcare has been most commonly attributed to breakthroughs in medicine and symptomatic therapies. However a new type of technical innovation, which instead streamlines processes and automates medical procedures, is re-shaping the sector globally. South Africa too can benefit greatly, given the proven advantages in terms of cost-savings and intelligent resource allocation.  

Strategic integration is a key attribute of successful mobility – it promotes the idea that a connected workforce and organizational function, both of which capitalize on end-to-end mobility, simply makes business sense. South Africa’s healthcare sector is in desperate need of improved communications and stronger partnerships between its numerous healthcare entities. Local healthcare departments, pharmacies, GPs and medical facilities should be on a shared system that would, as just one example, enable more efficient, accurate distribution and dispensing of medicines.

Identifying a gap in the marketplace for a completely tailored, fully serviced enterprise mobility solution within the local context, three leading mobility specialists – IBM, Motorola and Zebra – have joined forces to form a pioneering Mobile Enterprise Tri-Alliance. This strategic partnership presents a truly exciting solution for local organisations looking to create revenue streams, increase operational efficiencies and improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Tri-Alliance spokesperson and Mobile Specialist for IBM, Caroline Scofield explains, “The local healthcare landscape is a particularly volatile one with the sector frequently under the media spotlight. Criticism is often levied at under-performing medical facilities and those at the mercy of human error. Mobility can play a huge role here – potentially improving efficiency and ultimately reducing costs.”

The applications within the healthcare arena are plentiful and include the following:

·         There is a global move to reduce the historical focus on paper-based documents and instead digitize data. Within the medical profession, healthcare providers can ensure a more efficient and accurate system in place, while also allowing care givers to spend more time with the patient.

·         The electronic prescribing of medication is inevitable in the not too distant future, with a patient’s history and notes being automised. The benefits include the ability to identify allergies, minimise errors and heighten security. 

·         Automating systems provide options for more frequent training for personnel. With South Africa’s high reported turnover of healthcare staff, in part due to attractive employment options for medical staff elsewhere in the world, training must be effective and simple.

·         Improving patient safety and speeding diagnosis will encourage confidence in the healthcare practice and an improved patient experience.

·         Finally, infection control through tracking and management would also ensure distinct benefits during virus outbreaks such as the global Swine Flu epidemic earlier this year.

Scofield comments, “Smart operational decisions that look to immediate and future efficiencies and cost-savings are what the healthcare sector needs. As an example, the effective tracking of medical equipment – which is often uninsured or uninsurable – can offer significant savings to the industry. There are so many more exciting opportunities for this sector, all of which will ultimately make for a vastly improved patient experience.”

As government ministers grapple with numerous healthcare issues in this country, the fact remains that at least some of these can be alleviated by effective mobile solutions. Improved efficiency and reduced costs are the ultimate goals and these can be achieved through the implementation of a tailored solution.

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