TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of WhatsApp Messenger in the Laboratory Management System
T2 - A Boon to Communication
AU - Dorwal, Pranav
AU - Sachdev, Ritesh
AU - Gautam, Dheeraj
AU - Jain, Dharmendra
AU - Sharma, Pooja
AU - Tiwari, Assem Kumar
AU - Raina, Vimarsh
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - The revolution of internet and specifically mobile internet has occurred at a blinding pace over the last decade. With the advent of smart phones, the hand held device has become much more than a medium of voice calling. Healthcare has been catching up with the digital revolution in the form of Hospital Information System and Laboratory Information System. However, the advent of instant messaging services, which are abundantly used by the youth, can be used to improve communication and coordination among the various stake holders in the healthcare sector. We have tried to look at the impact of using the WhatsApp messenger service in the laboratory management system, by forming multiple groups of the various subsections of the laboratory. A total of 35 members used this service for a period of 3 months and their response was taken on a scale of 1 to 10. There was significant improvement in the communication in the form of sharing photographic evidence, information about accidents, critical alerts, duty rosters, academic activities and getting directives from seniors. There was also some increase in the load of adding information to the application and disturbance in the routine activities; but the benefits far outweighed the minor hassles. We thereby suggest and foresee another communication revolution which will change the way information is shared in a healthcare sector, with hospital specific dedicated apps.
AB - The revolution of internet and specifically mobile internet has occurred at a blinding pace over the last decade. With the advent of smart phones, the hand held device has become much more than a medium of voice calling. Healthcare has been catching up with the digital revolution in the form of Hospital Information System and Laboratory Information System. However, the advent of instant messaging services, which are abundantly used by the youth, can be used to improve communication and coordination among the various stake holders in the healthcare sector. We have tried to look at the impact of using the WhatsApp messenger service in the laboratory management system, by forming multiple groups of the various subsections of the laboratory. A total of 35 members used this service for a period of 3 months and their response was taken on a scale of 1 to 10. There was significant improvement in the communication in the form of sharing photographic evidence, information about accidents, critical alerts, duty rosters, academic activities and getting directives from seniors. There was also some increase in the load of adding information to the application and disturbance in the routine activities; but the benefits far outweighed the minor hassles. We thereby suggest and foresee another communication revolution which will change the way information is shared in a healthcare sector, with hospital specific dedicated apps.
KW - Laboratory management
KW - Social media
KW - WhatsApp
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84947231943
U2 - 10.1007/s10916-015-0384-2
DO - 10.1007/s10916-015-0384-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 26573651
AN - SCOPUS:84947231943
SN - 0148-5598
VL - 40
JO - Journal of Medical Systems
JF - Journal of Medical Systems
IS - 1
M1 - 14
ER -