Dell's Streak tabletlike device, powered by Google Android, gets integration with the company's health care industry solutions.
Computer maker Dell announced it is expanding its electronic medical records
(EMR) and Mobile Clinical Computing (MCC)
solutions to include the Google Android-powered Streak 5-inch tablet. The
integration with the Streak is designed to help reduce compatibility issues
that can surface between PDAs, smartphones and health information systems. Dell
said hospitals and physicians will be able to order the Streak this fall as an
integrated component of Dell's EMR and MCC
solutions.
The Streak integrates with Dell's EMR
technology bundle, and is designed to make HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act) compliance easier because patient information resides
in Dell's health care enterprise hosting center or the hospital's data center,
but not on the device. Dell's MCC solution
provides clinicians with access to patient information via stationary or mobile
devices throughout the hospital. The solution is designed to limit access to
information based on clinician credentials and by securing applications and patient
information in the data center.
According to a report from Manhattan Research, 64 percent of physicians
currently use smartphone technology, and they are adopting smartphones more
rapidly than any other form of health care IT. The study found 72 percent of
doctors use smartphones for both personal and professional use, with the number
expected to increase to 81 percent in 2012. An earlier survey by research firm
Spyglass Consulting Group found 94 percent of physicians use smartphones for
both personal and professional functions, including at the point of care.
Dell said the device is well-suited to physicians and hospitals because of
its light weight (220 grams) and a compact form factor that is small enough to
fit in a lab coat. The Streak can also be integrated into Dell's health care
enterprise systems and solutions, turning the device into an extension of the
hospital's information sharing platform. When integrated with Dell's EMR
and MCC solutions and future health care
offerings, applications and patient data can be protected and secured in the
data center, not on the device, which Dell said increases the security of
sensitive medical information.
"With the Streak integrated into our solution portfolio, we are making
electronic patient information accessible to physicians and clinicians in a
form factor that is easy for them to use," said Jamie Coffin, vice president of
Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences. "In the future, we will extend the
accessibility of medical information throughout the health care ecosystem with
the introduction of additional mobility offerings."
The company also noted that while Dell products are designed to meet product
certification requirements for use in general administrative and information
processing environments within medical facilities, its products are not
designed or certified for direct patient contact or for use as medical
equipment or medical devices. In addition, Dell products are not designed or
certified for use within six feet of a patient or explosive present.
The Streak, expected to compete with Apple's iPad tablet and rival devices
from Samsung (the Galaxy Tab) and Toshiba (the Folio 100), offers two cameras,
a 5-megapixel one with dual-LED flash on the back and a VGA-resolution one on
the front for video calling; both are capable of video. While unconfirmed by
Dell, rumors have surfaced regarding development of 7-inch and 10-inch models.
The 7-inch model is expected to launch in late 2010 and the 10-inch model in
early 2011, according to various reports.
Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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