Sheffield hospital uses JAOtech Smart Terminals to access Electronic Medical Records

JAOtech’s terminals were originally installed to provide patients with free entertainment, education and communication. ANS Group installed an authentication module and some specialist client software on each terminal, to provide clinicians with access to a clinical desk top when inserting their Connecting for Health (CfH) smart card into the JAOtech smart card reader provided and entering their pass-code. Removing the card instantly closes the desktop, and returns the terminal to the application last used by the patient. The system is very secure, and no data is held on the terminal itself at any point.

“The scheme was part of our vision when we installed the Patient Interactive Systems, and we are thrilled to see it brought to reality,” explains Russell Banks, Head of IT, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. “The solution will allow medical and nursing staff to increase the time they spend on patient care, giving patients more individual attention by providing quick and convenient access to the records and data they need – and eliminating the long standing problem of space at nurses’ stations.”

According to Paul Sweeney, Managing Director of ANS Group, “The availability of clinically proven touch screen PC terminals running Windows at each bed in the hospital was a significant bonus and will greatly increase the efficiency of the clinicians. JAOtech’s terminals provided all the hardware features required to support the requirements of our system.”

The JAOtech 17-inch Obie Smart Terminals supplied to the hospital are specifically designed for the hygienic and noise-free environment of a hospital ward, and use an intuitive touch screen user interface. In addition to the new patient records system, they offer patients free radio, TV, internet, and telephony, as well as computing facilities and an education service to ensure that essential learning is available to long-term patients, so they do not fall behind on schooling and can develop their skills. The all-in-one terminals are fanless, use wipe-down anti-bacterial plastics and are sealed front and back to IP65 and IP64, which protects against dust and water.

ANS Group partnered with Quest Software to deliver the virtual desktop allowing clinicians to access patient records which are updated in real-time. It is based on the Virtual Access Suite provided by Provision Network, a division of Quest Software.

The SmartiD authentication, provided by ANS Group, ensures that clinical desktops are only available when the CfH smartcard is inserted, and automatically reverts back to the default systems once the card is removed, at the point where it left off. The interactive systems themselves do not hold any data once the smartcard is removed, thereby eliminating the danger of data theft. The solution allows a highly scalable Microsoft Windows service to run inside a virtual machine appliance. The interactive systems communicate with the virtualised datacenter via a web interface[0], allowing medics access to the virtual infrastructure and patient records.