Tablets click in Asian hospital first (第一)

Tablets click in Asian hospital first (第一)

Doctors and nurses at Union Hospital will soon be equipped (配備) with the latest iPads to assist in daily operations in what is thought to be a first in Asia.

"The iPad 2 will enable clinicians to access up-to-the-minute (note 1) patient records with archived (存檔) medical images and video clippings," Dr Anthony Lee Kai-yiu, chief hospital manager and medical director, said.

"All key information is at the fingertips of (note 2) staff," said Lee, referring to the 50 tablet computers (平面電腦) provided. "This tailor-made solution has marked a milestone (note 3) in our patient- centric (以病人為重) health-care development."

A team at the private hospital tested three of the devices over the past six months.

Members of the mobile clinical solution committee at the Sha Tin hospital met with consultancy (.諮詢服務公司) Green Tomato to develop the in- house iPad 2 strategy.

The devices will introduce multimedia clinical records, electronic prescriptions (藥方) and built-in drug interaction checks.

Through trial and error (note 4), the team has come up with the most advanced version of the medical program.

Cheung Ka-ming, systems manager at the hospital, said special security control software will be installed (設置) on each device to ensure confidential information on the server and intranet remains that way.

"This is an essential first step to enhance patients' safety," Cheung said.

He described how the time-out (note 5) session on devices only lasts 10 minutes and medical staff must enter a log-in name and password for successful access.

With 10 tablet computers available on each level of the hospital, staff may only activate (起動) the devices at internal selected access points.

Dr Lo Wing-kee, a specialist (專家) in emergency medicine, said: "I can directly write on the touch screen - the zoom function easily brings instant and accurate (note 6) patient data and medical history."

From good to better English:

(note 1) up-to-the-minute=最近的，最新的。 up-to-the-minute news=最新消息。Minute=一會兒工夫；一瞬間，刹那。Wait a minute=等一下。in a minute=馬上，即刻。this minute=現在就，即刻。 to the minute=一分不差，恰好。

(note 2) at the fingertips of=近在手邊隨手可得, 隨時可供應用 ( Readily or instantly available)。

(note 3) marked a milestone=里程碑, 劃時代事件 (An important event, as in a person's career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point)。Mark=記分數, 區分，區劃。mark down 記下；減價。mark off spheres of influence=劃分勢力範圍。Mark papers=批卷子，給考試卷子打分數。 Mark time=踏步；躊躇，猶豫不決。 Mark up=漲價。

(note 4) trial and error=反復試驗 (An attempt to accomplish something by trying various means until the correct one is found)。例句: The only way to solve this problem is by trial and error=唯有反復試驗才能找到解決問題的辦法。

(note 5) time-out=暫停時間。

(note 6) instant and accurate=又快又準。Instant=立即的，直接的, 迫切的，緊急的。an instant response=立即回答。 instant coffee=即溶咖啡。

Victor’s View: Union Hospital staff should be applauded for using tablet computers to get access to patients’ medical records. Sometimes delays can ruin lives.


(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)