Improving Rural Healthcare in Mobile Clinics: Real-Time, Live Data Entry into the Electronic Medical Record Using a Satellite Internet Connection

Daniel Jackson Smith (), Elizabeth Mizelle, Nina Ali, Valery Cepeda, Tonya Pearson, Kayla Crumbley, Dayana Pimentel, Simón Herrera Suarez, Kenneth Mueller, Quyen Phan, Erin P. Ferranti and Lori A. Modly ()
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Daniel Jackson Smith: School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Elizabeth Mizelle: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Nina Ali: School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Valery Cepeda: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Tonya Pearson: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Kayla Crumbley: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Dayana Pimentel: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Simón Herrera Suarez: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Kenneth Mueller: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Quyen Phan: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Erin P. Ferranti: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Lori A. Modly: Farmworker Family Health Program, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: The Farmworker Family Health Program (FWFHP) annually supports 600 farmworkers in connectivity-challenged rural areas. Traditional paper-based data collection poses validity concerns, prompting a pilot of direct data entry using tablets and satellite internet to enhance efficiency. The purpose of this article is to describe, using the TIDier checklist, a real-time, live data-entry EMR intervention made possible by satellite internet. Utilizing a customized REDCap database, direct data entry occurred through tablets and satellite internet. Patients received a unique medical record number (MRN) at the mobile health clinic, with an interprofessional team providing care. Medication data, captured in REDCap before the mobile pharmacy visit, exhibited minimal defects at 6.9% of 319 prescriptions. To enhance data collection efficiency, strategies such as limiting free text variables and pre-selecting options were employed. Adequate infrastructure, including tablets with keyboards and barcode scanners, ensured seamless data capture. Wi-Fi extenders improved connectivity in open areas, while backup paper forms were crucial during connectivity disruptions. These practices contributed to enhanced data accuracy. Real-time data entry in connectivity-limited settings is viable. Replacing paper-based methods streamlines healthcare provision, allowing timely collection of occupational and environmental health metrics. The initiative stands as a scalable model for healthcare accessibility, addressing unique challenges in vulnerable communities.

Keywords: farmworker health; real-time data entry; satellite internet; healthcare accessibility; mobile clinics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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