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Hospitals eye the iPad for low-cost paperless records

by Steven Sande Feb 3rd 2010 at 10:00AM

Unless you have absolutely no imagination, you've probably noticed the resemblance of the iPad to one of those cheap little clipboards that your friendly neighborhood doctor carries around on rounds. Apple is rumored to be making its own rounds of hospitals marketing the new über-iPod touch, having visited a hospital in LA in the recent weeks.

What's so great about tablets for health care? When connected to a Wi-Fi network, they're perfect for looking up medical information or working patient charts while on the move. The iPad in particular would be perfect, having no keyboard to disinfect or lid hinges to break. In addition, the most expensive Wi-Fi iPad is priced at just US$699, while many traditional Windows Tablet PCs used in health care start in the neighborhood of $2,000.

Of course, it all depends on the software. We recently received a question from a reader who just happens to be a doctor, asking if he could use an iPad with his existing Windows-based medical record keeping system. The answer was simple; yes, since there are already many VNC and RDP apps available for the iPad that can be used to control a remote PC (examples are Jaadu VNC [iTunes Link] and iTap RDP Client [iTunes Link].

While neither of these vendors has 'fessed up to working on an iPad-specific version of their app, it's only a matter of time. For medical practices using the Mac OS X-based MacPractice system, the company has announced MacPractice Interface for iPad, MacPractice Kiosk for iPad, Dental Chart for iPad, and an iPad-based EMR/EHR app.

With a little luck and a big marketing push from Apple, the iPad may make it into hospitals and medical offices around the world.

[via MacNN]

Update: The author apologizes to all who were offended by the previous image that accompanied this post. Also, please note that the image above is an artists conception and does not indicate that an iPad or any other unsterilized electronic instrument would be used in a hospital environment.

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Jared Houck

There is a large gap between what many HOPE the iPad will do and what it actually CAN do. Tablet PCs have been on the market for many years and promised many of the same things. The limiting factor has been (and most likely will continue to be) software. In the US, the ARRA certification (via the HITECH stimulus) will be the badge that differentiates what healthcare facilities will actually support and purchase.

I've listed another 10 reasons the current iPad will not be significantly deployed in healthcare if you have the time.

http://www.healthcareitsquad.com/apple-ipad-will-not-be-adopted-for-use-by-health-care-information-technology/

April 15 2010 at 8:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris Hanson

I'm a physician (pediatrician) who saw the usefulness of an iPad in practice back in March when I ordered mine. It is being used in every patient interaction in our office now and really working well. We use thin client RDP connections to our Windows server anyway, so the iPad is a lighter, more portable, cheaper and cooler way to interact with out existing software.

What's the best way to run Windows? On a Mac! (or iPad now!)

April 08 2010 at 9:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SubGenius

Where can we see the original photo?

February 03 2010 at 4:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
directeco

What a bunch of whiny uptight people these commenters are. I work in a hospital also and do not find the image described as offensive in the least. Sounds like they all have an inferiority complex or something...

February 03 2010 at 3:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pika2000

Tablet PCs are not new in hospital setting. In fact, I've seen a hospital with a system where doctors can simply send orders using Winmo PDAs, and this is about 5/6 years ago. Without quick hand-writing recognition, I don't think the iPad is an ideal solution.

February 03 2010 at 3:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jack

people need to relax.

I understand the concern about the previous photo, but is it really necessary to put a side-note explaining that the iPad is not sterilized?

For all you know, that iPad could be completely sterile!

February 03 2010 at 1:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
George

hey, what happened to the original good image. Only reason I came back to TUAW today..

There was nothing wrong with it. Except some people have no sense of humour.

February 03 2010 at 1:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
andrew

i much preferred the original image.

February 03 2010 at 1:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jeem

Thank you, Steve, for pulling the photo.

February 03 2010 at 1:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric

I found some more information about hospitals really thinking about adopting this. http://gopost.info/78

February 03 2010 at 12:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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