Healthcare (Virtual) Forum - 251119

"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  

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.

Biography         

Daniel Smith is the Director and Principal of The ROPEH Lab, which stands for Research for Occupational, Public, and Environmental Health. He collaborates with researchers and clinician-scientists from the University at Buffalo, Emory University, East Carolina University, Villanova University, El Centro de Cultura, Arte Trabajo y Educación, the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia en Santa Marta, and La Isla Network.

Smith’s research program examines the effects of multiple environmental exposures on human health. He has conducted studies to better understand 1) the impact of occupational heat exposure on kidney health and 2) lead exposure on a broad set of community health outcomes.

Daniel holds methodological expertise that bridges the worlds of community-based participatory research with Spanish-speaking populations and data science. He has conducted quantitative analyses including natural language processing (e.g., sentiment analysis and topic modeling), network analysis, and machine learning (e.g., conditional inference trees and random forests).

Daniel Smith currently serves as the board chair for the Alliance of Nurses for Health Environments where he collaborates with nurses across the globe to promote nursing as a leader in environmental health. Clinically, he continues to practice as a primary care nurse practitioner providing care to the unhoused of Buffalo, NY. He has previously worked as a harm reduction nurse practitioner in Philadelphia, PA.

When

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Where

Virtual

Fees

Members: $10
Non-members:$12

Meeting content, presenter, and location are subject to change. Refunds will not be made for changes in meeting content, presenters, or locations. 

PDUs

Earn 1 PDU
Talent Triangle Category: Ways of Working

PDUs can be claimed here.