AirWatch Names VITAS a Mobile Game Changer

05/15/2015

MIAMI, FL – May 5, 2015 – VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, was recently featured as a #MobileGameChanger by AirWatch by VMware, the leader in enterprise mobility management, for its innovative use of mobile technology in healthcare.

VITAS specializes in care transitions—moving terminally-ill patients from the hospital or an acute care setting to their homes. Approximately 80 percent of VITAS employees are engaged with delivering hospice care wherever the patient calls home. VITAS nurses have dynamic daily schedules driven by patients’ individual needs. The speed with which VITAS caregivers arrive at a patient’s bedside to relieve suffering or counsel a family in distress is paramount.

“Hospitals all over the country are coming to the realization that the continuum of care has moved beyond the four walls of the facility,” said VITAS Chief Information Officer Patrick Hale. “VITAS delivers an innovative combination of technology and business processes that addresses the challenges of end-of-life care. The use of mobile devices by our field staff has further enhanced the high quality of care that VITAS is known for providing its patients and their families,” he said.

VITAS’ highly-skilled nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, and home health aides assist approximately 15,000 patients daily at the end of life. With mobile devices in hand, VITAS caregivers have drastically reduced the amount of time it takes to help patients transition to a hospice care setting while being able to provide important patient data for daily care.

For example, when explaining hospice services to a new patient and their family, VITAS nurses share video content illustrating the transition. The mobile devices store the necessary paperwork that patients and their families complete during the transition process. All required admission forms are stored digitally on a single device and can be completed via e-signature. Once the paperwork is complete, a local VITAS office is instantly notified and can further facilitate the transition process.

VITAS has also expanded its use of mobile devices to assist patients with day-to-day pain management. Nurses can record patient health issues in real-time, leading to more immediate care for patients. Additionally, when nurses are informed that another patient in their facility requires attention, the patient’s information is already updated on their devices, enabling them to quickly attend to the patient’s needs seamlessly.

“AirWatch recognizes VITAS Healthcare as a Mobile Game Changer for its innovative use of mobile technology in the healthcare industry and its ability to quickly and efficiently assist patients and families through the use of mobility,” said VMware Vice President of Marketing for End User Computing Erik Frieberg. “AirWatch is committed to providing its healthcare customers with flexibility and a consistent user experience to enable physicians to securely access clinical systems, patient data and resources necessary to deliver the highest levels of patient care.”