‘ Most Valuable Tool ’
Dr. Richard Cross takes his humanitarian mission seriously: several times a year, he and a team of ophthalmologists and other eye-health professionals travel to rural locations in Jamaica to provide eye care to underprivileged populations. Dr. Cross contacted Alchemy through Apple and FileMaker, Inc. to help him with a mobile solution that would make it possible to treat more patients in the limited time available each visit.
“This was a difficult task all around,” says Alchemy president Bob Shockey. “Not only is WiFi networking in short supply, they often do not even have a cellular connection.” To work around these issues, the team at Alchemy created a synchronization routine that allowed the volunteers to sync patient data between the server and iPads before and after excursions to see patients. This allowed everyone to have up-to-date information and provide ongoing care, even upon returning for subsequent visits to the islands. “We had to provide for every eventuality, and to be honest, it was very challenging. It took a few tries in a live setting to work out every possible scenario. Nevertheless, we feel really good about where we ended up with this project.”
“Partnering with Alchemy Group allowed us to have patient information at our fingertips during our clinics,” says Dr. Cross. “Being able to review all the information in an instant helped us improve the quality of care we delivered on our mission. The program is now our most valuable tool.”
Path to Success:
- Easy-to-learn interface for volunteers
- Simple patient management
- Thorough data entry
- Synchronization of data with server in limited-network environment
