With healthcare professionals increasingly relying on handheld devices to access the Web, medical technology company Carestream Health launched a mobile version of its Web site.

Designed with the needs of busy radiology professionals, healthcare IT executives and other customers, the mobile version of http://www.carestreamhealth.com enables users to access information about Carestream Health products and services -- as well as connect with company representatives -- while on the go.

"Our strategy with this feature is to enhance our site's reach and make it available and useful to customers who often have busy schedules," said Ronald Norris, manager of CarestreamHealth.com, Rochester, NY. "We want to provide the most requested information -- e.g., support, product and general questions, etc. -- in an easy-to-use format to enhance our customer support and ease of access.

"To achieve this, we have intentionally not loaded the full site on the mobile format but rather, only those features that fit a cell/smart phone and the way it is used," he said. "We will be experimenting with additional features to provide even further customer value, but always with an eye on targeted value and ease of use."

Customers can contact the company with one-touch calling and e-mailing directly from the mobile device.
A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research indicates that the overall adoption rate of handheld computing devices and PDAs among healthcare providers may be as high as 85 percent.

Since the study occurred in 2006, the adoption rate could be even higher today.

Carestream Health has designed and implemented a format for its site specifically tailored to the mobile world.

The format has been established and tested on standard mobile phone display formats such as clamshell, candy bar, etc., in addition to the newer wide displays and full displays like Research In Motion's Blackberry.

The mobile site is compatible with most major carriers.

Carestream Health intends to broaden the global reach of its mobile site to include additional countries and languages, with the initial implementation being English-based.

To access this new feature, consumers can point their mobile phone to http://www.carestreamhealth.com.

Carestream Health is a provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market.

The company was formed in 2007 when Onex Corporation purchased Eastman Kodak Company's Health Group.

Carestream's target demographic is decision makers and influencers in the medical imaging and IT industries.

"Our customers tend to have Internet-capable phones, and will benefit from having easy, one-touch access to key information," Mr. Norris said. "These are people on-the-go and with very full schedules, and they require quick, direct answers when faced with questions about our company.

"We hope that by focusing on this need, and doing it well, we will provide a better customer experience and enhance our reputation for customer service," he said. "We will be measuring the mobile site's use as part of our analytics effort."