businesses including hospitals are looking for cost-effective alternatives to run their day-to-day operations while maintaining a high level of patient care. Cost effective wireless technology - including mobile medical applications that allow remote monitoring and access to critical patient information - were key topics of discussion at the “mHealth Solutions and Policy Forum,” hosted by CTIA-The Wireless Association® in Washington D.C., earlier today. With more than 30 years of supporting the healthcare industry, Sprint was the only wireless carrier to showcase live demonstrations of innovative mobility solutions available on its Now Network™.

“With the power of our Now Network, we are helping physicians to get the job done wherever their rounds take them,” said Ed Davalos , director of healthcare industry solutions at Sprint. “In the past few years, Sprint has seen a significant growth in the adoption of mobility solutions by healthcare providers with a growing interest among hospitals and caregivers for adopting Sprint solutions including Nextel Direct Connect®, Sprint Mobile Broadband and Converged Network Solutions (CNS). Today’s positive discussion re-emphasized this growing trend and illustrates how technology is reshaping the healthcare system in the U.S. and across the world.”

Sprint showcased live demonstrations of mobile health applications, including the REDFLY Mobile Companion, a two-pound device that serves as a smartphone terminal and extends all information from the smartphone to the big screen and keyboard, allowing physicians to use their smartphones like a laptop; mVisum, a mobile application that allows physicians to securely receive, view and respond to patient data recorded at the point of care on their smartphones; and Creative inPerson, high-quality video conferencing that allows personal channels of communications between healthcare providers and patients. These applications, powered by Sprint’s Now Network and robust device portfolio, allow physicians to view clinical results, capture billing codes, examine radiology images and transmit electronic prescriptions directly to pharmacies on the go.

Dr. Michael Suk , director of the orthopedic trauma service at the University of Florida, Shands Medical Center at Jacksonville, Florida, believes that instant, continuous and reliable wireless communications is key to high-quality patient care within hospitals. “Information that was previously available only within the walls of hospitals can now be viewed remotely, in real-time on Sprint smartphones, saving critical minutes in life-threatening situations and enabling caregivers to function more effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. Suk.

In an unpublished medical research study, Dr. Suk documents the benefits of using Nextel Direct Connect technology over traditional pagers. The results indicate that the use of Nextel Direct Connect increased the efficiency of day-to-day acute and sub-acute patient care in the trauma setting.

Speakers at this forum included notable medical and policy experts, including U.S. Representative and Member of the 21^st Century Health Care Caucus Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Chief Medical Officer of the West Wireless Health Institute and Chief Academic Officer for Scripps Health Eric Topol, M.D. and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Fellow Dan Fletcher, PhD.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.

Information Source:    Sprint Nextel