By Debi Besmer, Managing Partner, Archelon Enclosures
According to a Manhattan Research survey, Apple™ iPad® use among doctors rose from 30 percent in 2010, to 62 percent in 2011, to 72 percent in 2012. The research showed that use will continue to rise as opportunities in hospitals increase, because it provides healthcare facilities with a consistent and reliable connection to drug and medicine information, patient databases, and electronic medical records (EMR). Not to mention, use of the latest technology is not only a benefit, but a requirement. Come 2015 healthcare providers must demonstrate meaningful use of EMR technology every year to receive incentive payments, as per the incentives enforced by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Criticism
The most common criticism of using iPads® for healthcare applications is that neither the device nor the information on it is secure. However, that criticism is easy to combat. These critics may have overlooked secure enclosures that allow mounting and provide mobile protection. Mounting enclosures enable facilities to secure their devices on walls, kiosks, desks, and moving carts. Mobile enclosures keep devices secure as they are carried from room to room with a hand grip.
To secure their information, the iPad® provides 128 and even 256-bit encryption of data on storage and transmission, allowing facilities to keep in compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). They can do so by minimizing data leak and security violations from the manual handling of un-encrypted paper forms.
Applications
Sure, these devices make data entry an easier task for doctors, but they are capable of so much more than that. Let’s touch on these functionalities by exploring how the healthcare industry is leveraging the iPad®:
The pharmaceutical industry uses iPad®-friendly apps and mobile sites to offer important patient information to doctors and nurses, as well as patients and their families. With the ability to access this information, doctors and pharmacists are less likely to prescribe medicine to patients that may cause them harm. Quick and easy access to this information can reduce misdiagnoses, resulting in the saving of patients’ lives.
Genentech is an example of a company in the bio-tech industry that has leveraged this technology, as it standardized and issued more than 7,000 iPads® to its employees. It uses them to collect the field information and patient data for clinical trials. The technology gives the company functionalities it did not have with traditional methods, such as audio and video recording, high resolution images, and a centralized repository.
Hospitals are using iPad® technology to monitor patients, allow patient check-in, update inventory, manage tasks, and notify and communicate with patients and their families. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center created custom HealthTrak app to allow patients to access their results from home, as well as schedule appointments. Stanford Medical Center Hospital, for example, issued iPads® to their doctors, paramedics, pharmacists, and administrative staff. They use them to schedule patients, issue and authorize prescriptions, record and transmit patient data, and video conferencing.
Realizing Benefits
Now that we’ve gotten a glimpse of how today’s healthcare facilities are using this technology, let’s talk benefits. We are all a little wary of new business practices until we know that they will boost our bottom line, but this one adds up:
1. Mobility – Facilities can save space and money by purchasing iPads® and tablets versus bulkier models that give them very limited mobility. Unlike the common “computers on wheels,” they don’t need to be transported or stored on a large cart. Hand grips allow healthcare workers to carry their devices from room to room as needed. Kiosk stands and mounts allow them to securely stabilize the devices in one place. Tablet enclosures allow you to maintain mobility while protecting your investment.
2. EMR Efficiency – The devices allow for easier access to electronic medical records and patient databases. Using a kiosk, hand grip, or table mount, the provider and patient can view the same data at the same time. This will help in establishing trust between healthcare employees and patients, who will no longer feel like they are in the dark about their diagnoses. Doctors can explain diagnoses using graphs or photos, rather than reading them from a computer screen with their backs turned to the patient.
3. Accuracy – Because of the ability to share information with patients in a more efficient manner, using iPads® helps healthcare facilities to increase accuracy, as patients would be able to verify their information or add to it as it changes. The technology also makes it easier for patients to complete paperwork that would otherwise be extremely time-consuming.
To not only set themselves apart from other providers, but also comply with technology requirements, healthcare facilities should not ignore this technology. The iPad® provides healthcare facilities with access to information and software that can revolutionize the way they provide for their patients, bringing functionality to the industry that simply cannot be achieved with a clipboard.
Debi knows a great idea when she sees one and the opportunity of Archelon Enclosures immediately sparked her interest. Besmer’s background is in the hospitality industry and her philosophical belief that the “customer rocks” was harmonious with Archelon Enclosures’ core values. She’s a high-energy motivator, a change agent, and overall strategic thinker. Her instinctive marketing talents, combined with her ability to garner buy-in from stake holders and infectious optimism, inspires top performance. Her favorite things in life begin with the letter “H”: Humor, Hardware (as in Archelon), Home-cooked meals, Health, Heaven, and Harleys!
everyday device, but has such a technologically advanced operating system, it performs like an industrial device. 
The Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM), an international trade group, serves as a source of information for a wide range of business technologies and solutions (including bar code and point of sale systems). This family of technologies serves to identify, track, record, store, and communicate essential data.
Stay up to date on changes in RFID technology by reviewing the 
Subscribe to The BarCodeNews Enewsletter
Wasp Barcode Technologies, a leading provider of 
Today’s savvy consumer is more sensitive to product brands than ever before. This is particularly true in the world of fashion. In fact, nearly 30 percent of apparel buyers believe that fashion brands and their associated logos are of greater importance to consumers, according to the Fashion Brand Index. Consumers worldwide are looking for differentiated brands, and protecting those brands is critical to the fashion business. 
From Stock To Sales Floor
Luxury apparel maker 
About TexTrace
MORGAN HILL, Calif., 
What do QR Codes have in common with John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker and Billie Holiday? Both can be found together on ASTRELLA Musical T's ®. Astrella, daughter of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Donovan, will release her full line of musical T-shirts this Spring. An early launch and photo shoot featuring a limited number of artists will take place on Thursday February 27, 2014 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
When choosing a bar code label printer for your business, it's important to remember that not all types of printers are created equal. While dot matrix, ink jet, and laser printers may be capable, at least in theory, of creating scannable bar code labels, in most cases questions about lifetime ownership costs, ease of use, and bar code quality arise. When bar code labels are printed, the tolerances are quite tight, with the width of bars, spaces, and quiet zones measured in thousands of an inch or mils. If bar widths are inconsistent or the contrast between light and dark elements is lacking, the bar code label won't be read. 
more closely.
paper moves. Each print head element heats the section of the chemically coated paper directly below it. The heat produces a chemical reaction, causing a black dot to form. More and more dots form the complete bar code image.
McLain Farms is one of the largest producers of sweet onions in the country. 
Enables Use of RFID in More Product Categories
Hospital assets, including medical equipment, prescription drugs and, yes, people, are now being tracked and monitored by RFID (radio frequency identification) tags. Whether mounted directly on equipment or integrated into ID badges and pharmaceutical supplies, RFID can provide a fast, secure and cost-effective technology for better healthcare management.
2D bar codes, QR codes, Microsoft Tag, SnapTag and other versions of 2D bar codes have now become a significant part of the bar code landscape. Our mission here at The Bar Code News is to be the "Go-To Site for everything Bar Code™" so we want to make it easy for you to access the best resources out there. Read some of our most popular articles about QR codes, what they are, how to use them how to make them, and more. 
Printing a large batch of bar code labels that won’t scan can be disastrous for any company. Bad bar codes can lead to major issues for your products at retail, problems organizing and tracking inventory, undeliverable packages, and even expensive chargebacks in certain industries. There are many factors that should be considered when printing your bar code labels. The following guidelines will help ensure that you print easily scannable, high-quality bar codes. 
In 2002, a group of Japanese network carriers, handset makers and service providers began collaborating to create innovative uses for the new cameras in mobile phones. Their favorite idea was to turn a camera phone into a scanner to deliver encoded information, including URLs, directly to the mobile Internet. As a result of that collaboration, 
The PDF417 symbol at the left is a stacked or multi-row 2D symbol. ("PDF" stands for Portable Data File. "417" comes from the method of encoding a symbol character. Each character consists of 4 bars and 4 spaces and is 17 modules wide. These symbols are composed of bar codes stacked on top of one another. LIke their linear symbol relatives, stacked or multi-row symbols encode data using combinations of bars and spaces. PDF417 symbols encode personal information on the back of driver's licenses in 45 states of the US.
Multi-part bar code labels are useful for inventory management and 
Universal Product Codes (UPC) or barcodes, have helped merchandisers keep track of sales and inventory for decades. For Brandon Gordon, a Brooksville, Florida, business entrepreneur, that has translated into a big business. He has now sold more than 10 million of them.
VALENCIA, CA
MAINtag and Zebra Technologies Launch New FLYplug
From the devices on our desks and at our offices, to the technology in our vehicles and our pockets, computers and digital systems are used to make us more effective on just about every level.
