10 Key Windows 8 Features for Healthcare Professionals

Doctors and nurses depend on mobile computing devices every day. Whether they’re standing by the patient’s bedside or typing away in their office, clinicians need to enter and access patient data to make appropriate treatment decisions. Windows 8 mobile devices make it easier than ever for busy clinicians to stay productive in the healthcare environment. Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise offer 10 features that are especially relevant for clinicians who need to maximize productivity while protecting sensitive patient data.

Dr. Joseph Kim is the president of MCM Education, a publishing company that provides continuing education for physicians, nurses and pharmacists, and the founder of MedicineandTechnology.com, MedicalSmartphones.com and MobileHealthComputing.com.

Windows 8 Enterprise includes a feature called DirectAccess through which remote users can access resources inside a corporate network without having to launch a separate VPN. This is especially important for doctors who need to see patient records when they get a call in the middle of the night from a sick patient.

DirectAccess also helps IT administrators apply the latest policies and software updates remotely. When DirectAccess is used along with Windows Server 2012, the entire solution is easier to deploy and implement within existing IPv4 infrastructures. In the same example, that busy doctor who needs to log on from home won’t be bothering the IT administrator in the middle of the night.