How the iPad is Changing Medicine

The iPad is an extraordinary device, already in its short lifespan revolutionizing how people access information.  In medicine, a field in which information changes at a very rapid pace, the impact is even more pronounced. A 2011 Digital MD Marketing report shows that 27% of primary care physicians and specialists alike have tablet computers (such as iPads) – about 5 times the level in the general population.  Among those healthcare professionals accessing medical news via mobile device, those using iPad nearly doubled to 14% in February 2011 (up from 8% in June 2010), according to an analysis by Bulletin Healthcare.

The many uses of the iPad in the medical profession are seemingly unlimited, from checking email and researching medications and conditions, to soliciting information from patients, accessing medical records, and educating patients.

Here are the highlighted observations from the “Cool Technology Blog”, an in the trenches experience with iPad by one of hospitalists and informaticians, Dr. Henry Feldman:

• Portability for rounding
• Epic battery life
• Lightweight
• Instant workstation when none are available
• Fast
• Able to go up and down stairs (unlike “computers on wheels”)
• Easy access to wireless network
• Access to OMR, Poe, eticket
• Showing patients their results/trends

The iPad’s not without its flaws. It’s fragile, but aftermarket products like a rubberized skin and a hand strap could be developed that would protect it.  The smaller keyboard may frustrate users, but voice recognition software would let doctors dictate notes.   Another issue is that privacy regulations and rules for prescribing controlled substances require added security. Some have suggested that a biometric device such as a fingerprint scanner could be added to later versions. Ease of printing is also expected to become a more readily available feature of future iPads.

These are all relatively small steps, though, given what Apple’s already managed to deliver: a user-friendly, lightweight, portable device that’s nearly certain to revolutionize the exchange of information in medicine.