Out of both need and innovation, technology enabling greater mobility of staff at all levels in the health sector has been one of the great e-health success stories.

Devices and communication media such as tablet PCs, laptops, SMS, Skype and email are being trialed and used to share and communicate in hospitals around the country.

As one of the largest healthcare providers in Victoria, Southern Health comprises a number of sites including the Monash Medical Centres in Clayton and Moorabbin, Dandenong Hospital, Casey Hospital, the Kingston Centre as well as various small satellite sites. According to the organisation's CapIT manager, Donovan Ferguson, Casey Hospital is the designated guinea pig for technology trials due to its full spectrum of patients which enables staff to try different devices across a range of disciplines.

Recently the organisation trialed a "100 per cent wireless" work project that enabled staff to use laptops and tablets anywhere in the hospital. As a result, the emergency department is now about to deploy tablet devices for its staff to test and establish what works best.