Southern Health is a large health service in Victoria with over 40 sites providing care to over 1.5 million patients annually. They piloted using iPads at Casey Hospital to enable mobile access to applications like medical records and diagnostic imaging. This was successful but highlighted limitations of current applications and need for wireless access across sites. Southern Health then opened up to allow staff to use their own devices (BYOD). Key lessons were that staff loved mobility but applications need improvements for mobile use and IT must support a variety of devices. Southern Health plans to expand wireless access and use mobility to enable new technologies across their health service.

1. Mobility @ Southern Health
CIO Summit
July 2012

2. Overview
• Southern Health – who are we?
• Why focus on mobility?
• Wireless is only an enabler
• The Casey Hospital Pilot
• What lessons did we learn
• Where to next

3. Victoria’s largest health service
Over 40 sites in
South eastern Melbourne
Including:
– Six major public hospitals
– One private hospital
– Eight community health sites
– Five aged residential care
facilities
– Community rehabilitation centres
– Mental Health facilities
– University affiliated research and
teaching centre.

4. Our care fast facts - 2010-2011
Total episodes of care
1.51 million episodes
more than 1.51 million episodes of care provided across
our services to the community
193,000 admissions
Hospital admissions
more than 193,000 people admitted to our hospitals
Emergency
172,000 people
more than 172,000 people came to our three emergency
departments for treatment

5. The need for mobility is not new
Nursing Practice
•Documentation 35%
•Care Coordination 21%
•Direct Care 22%
• Most systems are built around centralised phones and system
access at nurses station
• The average distance walked in a shift is of the order of 5km!
• Space for tethered PC is often at a premium at bedside

6. Early attempts- some progress
but…
COWS
• Mobile but large form factor
• Batteries, locks

7. Changing the game - enter Apple
• Enter the iphone and the ipad
• Enter the Mac
• Executives and doctors love the them!
• IT had to react and change the paradigm
From To
•Corporate device •Open up the IT environment
•Standard PC and OS •More flexibility
•Total control of device •Little control of applications
•Total control of the applications •Immature management tools
•Management tools for control •Personal device!

8. Casey Hospital Pilot… Ipads
• 3 months pilot, 15 Ipads
• Built wireless infrastructure – 100% coverage
• Security considerations led to the introduction
of Citrix for remote access
• Built clinicians’ portal for accessing
applications
• Applications – Emergency, Pathology,
Diagnostic Imaging, Scanned Medical Record
• Mail and calendar

9. ….. And BYO Devices!
• Pilot highlighted the need for more computing
devices and access to critical applications
• Pressure from clinicians to use own device
• Opened up the IT platform – device agnostic!
• Rush of BYO devices!

10. How are we using them?
• Bedside
• Theatres
• Office
• Home

11. Key considerations for tablets-
risks
• Security policy
• No storage of data on device or in the Cloud
• Awareness and training
• Costs blowouts
• downloading video, turn off global roaming
• Remote management and support and
tracking technology – be transparent

12. Key considerations for tablets-
limitations
• Data entry
• Printing
• Many applications not tablet friendly
• Infection control?

13. Key considerations in the introduction
of BYO computing
• Who can use one?
• Staff compensation?
• IT support for the devices
• Limitation of applications particularly around
display and data entry and printing
• Speed can be an issue

14. What did we learn?
• Staff love mobility aspect
• Ipad is not a silver bullet
• Limitation of applications particularly around
display and data entry and printing
• IT team needs to support a device
independent platform

15. Where to next
• Applications to be increasingly device independent
• Progressive rollout of wifi across all Southern Health
sites
• Wifi is an enabler of other technologies
• Portable communication devices
• Nurse call replacements
• Duress alarms
• Triangulation etc

16. Questions
Thank you
Philip Nesci
Dr. Philip Nesci
Consulting DirectorOfficer
Chief Information
Southern Health
Business Catalyst Intl.