Montefiore Medical Center is a pioneer when it comes to adopting technologies that enhance the quality of care. We were among the first healthcare systems to adopt electronic medical records (EMRs) and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in the early ‘90s. As an integrated healthcare delivery network operating from the Bronx, New York, Montefiore’s services span four campuses and more than 130 delivery locations. This means our physicians travel across sites and require access to information while working remotely. Today, as we continue to stay ahead of the technology curve, the natural next step is to adopt mobility solutions, including in our mission-critical cardiology services.

A sharp focus on cardiology is critical. Many healthcare systems have beaten the 90-minute door-to-balloon time, with the national average now down to 64 minutes. Yet this is an area in which every second could help drive leaps in patient outcomes. Ultimately, providing the right care at the right time is what reduces the patient’s treatment time and length of stay at the hospital.

At Montefiore, we identified an opportunity to reduce the time between when tests were conducted and when cardiologists review and analyze the results. Previously, those results may have been available on a cardiologist’s desktop, but there was no guarantee they would access it immediately – even if they were physically in the hospital. Mobility allows cardiologists to view diagnostic-quality, near real-time patient data on any device, within seconds, no matter where they are. By reducing the time it takes for test results to be delivered to and analyzed by the right clinician, cardiologists can make decisions about patient care much faster and with just as much accuracy as if they were sitting at their desktop. As a result, the “anytime, anywhere” access to critical cardiology reports has helped us meet the needs of more patients, whether in the emergency department, telemetry or critical care areas – and ultimately improved overall patient outcomes.

Given the cost of cardiology care, the financial feasibility of mobility also is important. Since adopting mobility solutions, we have seen reduced false cath lab activations, which can cost thousands of dollars per event, simply because physicians can more quickly and accurately assess the patient and determine the appropriate course of action immediately. More importantly, the timely cardiology involvement in acutely ill patients with complex dysrhythmias has reduced our long-term costs of cardiac care and improved public health by minimizing heart damage.

Our mobile strategy ensures that our physicians have the same experience working on their tablet or smartphone as they would while sitting at a workstation, and enables patient data to travel from point A to B in the most efficient, secure and quickest manner. While we’ve seen the impact of mobility across our health system, empowering the mobile physician is essential in cardiology – where minutes matter most.