When people think of medical needs, the last thing many think of is the need for medical device integration. The truth is, without MDI many of the systems we use today to monitor a patients health just wouldn’t exist. Although it is an essential tool it is still very flawed. Medical device integration is the main reason for medical transcription. Medical devices record thousands of different types of information for a single patient throughout the day. Watching and recording this information in a way that is easily accessible is vital for the patient’s health and recovery.

If medical device integration is done properly, then patient care and satisfaction will rise while mistakes and inefficiency will drop. When a person becomes hospitalized, many times there can be upwards to 6, or more, monitors all collecting important data on the patient’s health. Nurses are responsible for recording all that information flawlessly and inputting it into the hospital computer system.

By making the most of MDI, nurses will have time to connect and care for the patients rather than being friendly with their computer screens. ICU nurses spend huge amounts of time documenting, every 15 minutes in some cases. The information then has to be put into the computers. This constant handmade documentation is ripe for mistakes. Many times, when a doctor makes a mistake it is because the information that he or she received from the nurses was mistaken.

Because of this hand written and typed documentation, errors are prone to happen. When integrating MDI with EHRs, errors are eliminated due to the automated electronic recordings. By utilizing this type of monitor integration, nurses can use their own experience and good judgment. The nurses can then select the data that best represents the patient’s condition.

This can save doctors hours of deciphering timeline and medical coding. In the medical field, time is not just money… it’s life. Every hour a doctor can spare is an hour he or she can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Medical device integration, no matter the opinion, cannot be ignored. Last year, 2011, the MDI market hit $105 billion in sales and revenue. The increase has been ongoing boldly in the face of this current recession. Many say the growth is due to the fast pace of today’s technology.

These technological advances means hospitals are eating up all the new state-of-the-art monitors for their patients. The best care means saving lives, and in some cases saving lawsuits for malpractice.

Some of the most popular MDI categories have been vital sign monitors, new and improved EKG machines, ventilators, ultrasound machines, and even stress test meters. The amount of data that MDI brings is enormous.

Security is one of the biggest concerns for the new age of MDI mixed with EMR. The devices need to be secure from tampering to protect the information being delivered. At the same time, the device has to be accessible to the nurse staff and other caregivers to validate the information recorded.

Medical device integration will reduce the amount of transcription work necessary, it will reduce overall documentation time while supporting and improving the quality of the nurses and doctors. DMI will also help support patient safety and security. Medical device integration will prevent errors in diagnosis, reduce staff and patient stress, and will finally help provide a clear picture of the patient’s health.

These are just a few of the reasons that medical device integration is helpful and why there is more to that medical monitor than meets the eye. The next time you pass by a hospital room, take a moment to appreciate the MDI services that saves more lives than could have been possible ever before.