- Smart Healthcare, Wednesday 10 June 2009 09.47 BST
Marina Copping, clinical information manager for NHS Lothian, said it had tried using personal digital assistants (PDAs) on wards, but did not find them suitable. "The PDAs were too small to view sufficient data," and also had problems synchronising with other systems, she told a session at Smart Healthcare Live on 9 June 2009.
Copping said that MCAs, which were designed by Intel in association with NHS Connecting for Health and include a large touch screen and wireless connectivity, were much better suited to how clinicians work. "It's a PC, but in their hand," she said.
The MCAs provide access to NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland systems, including the patient administration system, test results and Scotland's emergency care record. "The tool allows staff to view any of that data on the screen," she said, and do so beside patients' beds.
This saves staff time, in that test results are available with the patient, rather than someone having to go to a workstation to retrieve information. "Now we have them at the bedside, we can act on them straight away," Copping said.
Following a formal eight week evaluation of the MCAs, NHS Lothian has bought 100 of the devices for use in medical, surgical and midwifery, and is now introducing them to wards. Copping said that hospital staff have been asking when the MCAs can be implemented, whereas often they need to be persuaded to accept new technology.
"In 10 years of doing this job, I've never seen a tool that has been so readily accepted by staff," she told the audience.
One questioner said that his organisation had found that MCAs were too heavy for junior doctors to carry around wards, and staff prefer computers on wheels, often known as cows. "I'd prefer it lighter, I'd agree," said Copping, while stressing the positive aspects NHS Lothian's evaluation had highlighted. However, another audience member said his trust had its cows sitting in corners, preferring MCAs.
