Administrators of senior living and care facilities have asked tech providers that, as new iterations of products become available, should address concerns related to connectivity and accessibility.
Many companies, such as smart cart developer Rosie, have rolled out new updates or accessories that are aimed at addressing concerns and ensuring that caregivers have access to data or devices 24/7, several representatives told McKnight’s.
“What I’ve heard from nurses is they are having Wi-Fi problems,” Rosie spokesman William Jackson said Wednesday. “They say, ‘We’re in old buildings, we’ve been here for a long time.’ If there’s bad reception, nurses have to go somewhere to upload data. We designed [the latest version of Rosie] so you don’t have to stop working because of a connection.”
Rosie unveiled a soft release of its Quantum product, a tablet that attaches to their Rosie “smart cart,” during the MatrixCare Inspire conference this week in Chicago.
In case of loss of wireless access, any vitals collected by the Quantum will be saved and timestamped and ready to upload when connectivity returns, Jackson said.
Healthcare tech company Pioneer Solution also recently has addressed this kind of concern, adding new hot swappable battery capabilities so its mobile cart can run constantly.
“When it’s due to be charged, an alarm goes off, and an internal battery kicks in immediately,” Pioneer Senior Vice President Ian Gelenter told McKnight’s. “Now, if I’m a nurse, I don’t have to stop what I’m doing and recharge.”
The smart carts themselves are also meant to address another concern that is often heard in senior care, Jackosn said: staffing shortages and lack of manpower to effectively monitor residents.
Smart carts often are sold to facilities on a one-per-hallway basis, and their touchscreens often are more durable than just mounted laptops, Gelenter said.
Rosie’s Quantum tablet sends data directly to software platforms such as MatrixCare, among others.
The ability for tech solutions to provide such interoperability was a major theme of the MatrixCare conference.
“The ability to connect seamlessly with national networks is crucial,” said Nick Knowlton, vice president of strategic initiatives at ResMed, the parent company of MatrixCare. “It’s important to make sure that systems are ‘talking together’ more seamlessly for patient updates.”
