Handheld Computing Devices in a Surgical Ward. Advantages on Clinical Information Sharing

At the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome we have been using wireless networks and portable devices for more than three years to improve the quality of service. In this paper we describe the design of an application for handheld devices created to support the activity of the surgical ward, where daily documentation and maintenance of medical record quality is a crucial issue. We tested the introduction of handheld computers in medical records keeping and in communication among the surgical staff, ensuring coordination of activities and knowledge sharing about their patients. Remarkable issues were represented by: contextaware interaction, personalization of content management and interface design.