Webinar
"Improving Rural Healthcare in Mobile Clinics: Real-Time Data Entry Using Satellite Internet" presented by Daniel Smith, PhD, NP, Assistant Professor at University at Buffalo
The PMI Atlanta Healthcare Forum has 9 planned sessions throughout 2025. Proposed topics include IT & IT PMO in Healthcare, Healthcare SME/Domain Forums such as Clinical, Laboratory, Research, Tomorrow's Healthcare & Government practices/law, Thought Leadership in Healthcare, and Innovation in Healthcare Technology.
Presentation Details 
Delivering healthcare in remote and connectivity-challenged areas presents unique logistical and data management challenges. This presentation describes the implementation and outcomes of a real-time electronic medical record (EMR) system in a mobile clinic serving over 600 migrant farmworkers in rural Georgia. Using Starlink® satellite internet and customized REDCap databases, clinicians and student trainees entered patient data directly at the point of care, replacing traditional paper-based documentation. The intervention achieved a 93% data accuracy rate and streamlined interdisciplinary workflows across nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy teams.
Through strategic project planning and execution, the initiative prioritized three core areas—digital health innovation, rural health equity, and data-driven program evaluation. These focus areas guided implementation efforts and stakeholder collaboration, resulting in the following key insights:
- Feasibility of Real-Time EMR Entry: Real-time electronic medical record (EMR) data entry is achievable even in low-connectivity rural environments, demonstrating the potential for broader implementation.
- Connectivity via Satellite Internet: Satellite internet supports continuous documentation and care coordination, bridging gaps in rural healthcare infrastructure.
- Efficiency Through Integration: Integrated digital tools significantly improve operational efficiency and enhance the accuracy of health data collection.
- Scalability of Mobile Health Interventions: The lessons learned affirm the potential to scale mobile health solutions to serve underserved and remote populations better.
