The Struggle is Still Real (But it Doesn’t Have to Be!)

Many of our senior care customers continue to talk about mobile devices in 2019 – primarily about transitioning from kiosks to either phones or tablets, for clinical documentation.  In our opinion this is an encouraging development. There is a ton of potential for efficiency gains by moving to mobile, as well as important benefits like more face-time with residents.

Inevitably, as an IT company, when we hear “mobile” our first thought goes to infrastructure. So we ask: “How’s your Wi-Fi?” Sometimes we get a puzzled response. (Why is this guy asking about Wi-Fi? I thought we were talking about mobile devices!) Often however, we get: “Oh, it’s fine I think.” Not a confident answer about something that can make or break your successful transition to mobile and the use of other technologies designed to improve resident care.

The struggle with inadequate Wi-Fi in senior care communities is not new. To be honest, we sometimes feel like a broken record when we talk about it. But the fact is, a bad wireless network does not equal a successful move to mobile. And as more communities contemplate mobile devices for point of care, we want to see success, not frustration.

Our recommendation? If you are looking to go mobile, get back to basics. Take a hard look at your infrastructure first and ask the right questions:

• When was the last time our network was assessed?
• Do staff complain about dead zones in our facility – where they can’t get signal?
• What are our technology objectives for the next 3-5 years?

The successful path to mobility, starts with an assessment of where you’re at today and a solid plan for the future.

Want more info about going mobile successfully?
Check out our recorded webinar: Get Your IT Together – Going Mobile the Right Way.