iPads headed into operating rooms along with surgeons

While some hospitals are eying the iPad as a way of going paperless with patient records, Georgetown University is already putting them directly in the operating room and into the hands of its surgeons. Offering real-time access to records and images of patients while inside the operating room, iPads have become "as essential as a scalpel" for surgeons while eliminating guesswork for those taking care of multiple patients each day.

"The iPad clearly has the potential to be very useful in the hospital and in the operating theater," says Dr. Felasfa Wodajo in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Surgical Radiology. "The same features which make the iPad great for surfing the web, such as looking at images and viewing video, nicely translate into the operating room."

We have written about iPads showing up in Chicago-area hospitals and being offered to hospitals as a campaign promise in Australia, so I think we can safely assume that this trend will only increase as they become more popular outside of medical facilities. I have read a lot about how their use should bring down medical costs for patients. More and more hospitals are realizing just how powerful a tool like the iPad can be.

[via American Consumer News]
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