mHealth in the hospital: from data security to patient welfare

Patient safety is a top priority in any healthcare setting. These days, this no longer just applies to health care delivery. Thanks to the increasing use of digital and mobile technologies, protecting patient data is also becoming increasingly important.

At virtual.MEDICA 2020, Dr. Thomas Berger gave a lecture titled "Erhöhung der Patientensicherheit bei Datenerfassung, -übertragung und Kommunikation mit mobilen Lösungen" (English: Increasing data-driven patient safety and communication with mobile solutions). In this MEDICA-tradefair.com interview, he explains what patient safety denotes in this context and describes how it can be implemented in day-to-day hospital operations.

Dr. Berger, what does patient safety mean in the context of digital or mobile solutions?

Dr. Thomas Berger: There are several aspects to this issue: first, in a mobile solution, the patient data must be made available in a transparent format, allowing the physician to gain better health insights into the patient. More information about the patient also enables more secured intervention protocols as it pertains to medication, for example.

Second, the data must likewise be secure. Patient data protection has both a content and a technology component. The bottom line is to reduce adverse events and risks, which ultimately improves the general quality of care.

What is the status quo of mHealth solutions in German hospitals?

Berger: The use of mobile solutions in German hospitals is still in development. Medical carts and paper-based documentation are still widespread when it comes to hospital operations. Although we start to see more mobile solutions such as tablets and mobile handheld devices, the journey has only just begun. Having said that, I think we can expect an enormous boost in this area thanks to the German Hospital Future Act ("Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz"). The federal government and the states support investments, which will be a major driver of this development.

What does good implementation of mobile devices in clinical care look like?

Berger: To create a sustainable innovation system in hospitals, you first must get the respective teams involved as this endeavor often turns traditional workflows upside down. You must work closely with the teams to identify processes where mobile devices should ideally be used, outline the corresponding changes, and pinpoint the processes that should preferably remain as they are. After all, not all contents and tasks are suitable for the switch to a mobile solution. An open dialogue with the teams and their willingness to implement certain changes – think "change management"– are very important points. This requires a lot of communication, both with the stakeholders – nursing management or hospital administration – and the users, meaning the nursing staff and physicians.  This dialogue must first be established. Once there is a willingness to make changes, you can successfully introduce mobile, digital workplaces.

Who is responsible for ensuring patient safety?

Berger: The patients themselves take a subordinate role in the initial setting. Needless to say, it is always a good thing if patients take an active role in managing their own care and get informed about relevant documents and data. However, when it comes to technology solutions in hospital settings, an IT strategy from a top services provider is critical. What should a future-ready IT infrastructure include? How should systems interact, communicate, and connect with each other? After all, a hospital is an ecosystem of interconnected solutions. This requires the consistent use of communication standards such as SMART and HL7 FHIR, which is the only way to ensure healthcare interoperability. The latter is also crucial to patient safety. Public hospitals in Germany can apply for government funding for projects to boost digital health, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure as part of the Hospital Future Act. Next to compliance with data protection regulations, at least 15 percent of the requested project funding must be used to ensure cybersecurity.