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How the Apple Watch is changing healthcare

164_Hcare_ALast week, Apple revealed a new app to go along with its Apple Watch that could permanently change the way Healthcare is provided. Through an app known as AirStrip and the new watchOS 2 software, the Apple Watch will allow medical professionals to connect with patients in ways never before thought possible. Here are some of the features the healthcare industry is getting excited about.

Designed specifically for the healthcare industry, the new Apple Watch version of the AirStrip app will allow patients and doctors to easily communicate up-to-the-second, critical health information across long distances. Doctors will be able to monitor patients on the go, with the capability to check their blood pressure, heart rate, pill schedule, lab results, diagnosis and more just by looking at their wrist. Here are a few other ways the AirStrip app and Apple Watch will change the way healthcare is provided.

Mobility and convenience for the healthcare industry

Included in the AirStrip app for Apple Watch are a wealth of new features that can make the lives of nurses and doctors easier. Doctors, who are notorious for their jam-packed schedules, will now be able to view their appointment schedules on their wrists. This will make it easier for them to prioritize meetings and manage their day on the go. And for added convenience, doctors will also be able to view lab results and patient diagnosis information on the Apple Watch.

If you’re not a doctor, you can also benefit from the Apple Watch. For example, as soon as a nurse checks a patient’s vitals, he or she can send them to the doctor immediately via the AirStrip application. This will save time and help any practice operate more efficiently.

Monitoring pregnant women

Currently, the AirStrip app is used to monitor pregnant women – but only while they’re in the hospital. However, the new AirStrip app for Apple Watch changes this. Using sensors that are placed on a woman’s belly and a technology known as Sense4Baby, doctors will be able to remotely monitor the heart rates of a mother and her baby while the two are at home. What’s more, when a pregnant woman goes into labor the doctor will also be able to monitor contractions from the Apple Watch.

What about security?

Since personal health information is being transported over an app, you may very well think that security could be an issue. But believe it or not, AirStrip is compliant with federal law through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This ensures that patients’ private information is well protected.

Want more up-to-the-second healthcare IT news? Curious to learn how IT can transform your practice? Our technology experts specialize in healthcare. Call us today to learn how we can update your practice for the 21st century.