The Next Generation of Mobile Computing for Hospitals

Mobile computing in the broadest sense is when multiple communications devices work together within an environment, unhampered by equipment limitations, distance, or interference. As computer and networking devices are put into smaller and smaller envelopes, their workplace usefulness increases. These mobile devices offer the potential of increasing the quality of healthcare services by making better use of hospital resources, including improved communications among medical and support staff, and increased patient monitoring. This paper depicts several hospital scenarios in order to conceptualize the planning and design of future mobile networks, taking into consideration patient care, management thinking, and technical issues. MOBILE NETWORKS One can easily imagine a sophisticated hospital environment where many of the staff are actively using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to communicate with each other and to record patient data into the hospital's information system. Similarly each patient wears a miniaturized mobile monitoring device which broadcasts medical readings to the nurse's central station (Morton an