An integrated environment to aid knowledge exchange and collaboration using mobile devices in a healthcare context

Abstract

Due to the popularization of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the number of applications being developed for these platforms increases every day. With that, different scenarios are being supported by these new systems, among them the healthcare scenario. By following the said advances, this article portrays the operation of an integrated approach consisting of two applications created for mobile devices and focused on the improvement of the healthcare environment, especially in respect to the exchange of knowledge. The first application finds the position of people inside a closed environment seeking to promote a more personal meeting. The second application allows the exchange of knowledge between people sharing a common space. The contribution of this integration along with the impact on healthcare scenarios will be described. Both applications have been tested in a controlled environment. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.