Healthcare Tablet Computing

In my mind, I envision a time where patients enter health care facilities and are not asked where charts and other paper items are. They are presented with an iPad that has been customized with their records for use while they are staying for service (in patient or out patient). If they are having tests or this happens to be a standard visit, the Doctor or Practitioner will use the iPad to record vital signs and results. Once the results are stored on the device they will be electronically synced to the central server in the facility. This ensures that no data is lost in the process and things are kept up to date.

This model would be beneficial to surgeons since they would be able to access scans on demand from the system and would not have to wait for copies to be created. Nurses and other staff would have a universal method of data entry and the back end EPR's (Electronic Patient Records) would be consistent. It would also save money in training once it was developed. The popularity of the iPad means that more people would either be more comfortable using it or be more apt to try it.

On the back side of things development will have to be ongoing to get this off the ground and to keep it running. Who will pay for the first install of these?  My thoughts might be Apple® itself. The proof of concept could open doors not before opened and allow access that is unprecedented. This is simply my overview wishlist, but given what the iPad has done so far, there is definitely more to come.

A little background before I post this interview. This participant has been a consumer of IT products and services but does not work in the industry. She has had previous experience in Healthcare, but on the administrative side of things.

Name:   Shequila N. Jacobs

Position / Role:   Financial Analyst, Organization Development Consultant

Industry:  Government & Non-Profit

Years Experience in technology:  12

Prior to the Apple iPad what were your feelings about the future of the tablet computing marketplace as a whole?

Slowly being integrated into the mainstream, but not very sophisticated.  People appeared to be pensive to jump on the trend. 

Where do you think the industry was headed?

Nowhere, I believe it was moving forward, but not steadily or rapidly.

After the iPad?  (Better, worse, explain)

   The industry has exploded with possibilities because it has nade the technology available to more people and is opening minds to the possiblilities and opportunities available in various sectors, particularly in the area of health care administration.

In the marketplace of tablet computing in healthcare which direction do you think things are headed?

I believe that healthcare will be adopting as many tools as possible to eliminate errors, increase quality and build efficiencies in service delivery particularly with all of the federal mandates pertainign to electronic health records. The evolution of the tablet technology would be extremely helpful and could eventually serve as a get tool for mobile research for healthcare profesionals, expanding knowledge and options while building a better long range consistency

Is the market trending up?

I believe so, as the technology required to meet the need in the healthcare industry is mandatory and immediate.  In order to meet the benchmarks for mandated outcomes, it is becoming essential to move technology forward at warped speeds.

With the development of apps for the iPad do you feel developers will make a decent attempt to break into the computing marketplace in healthcare?

Only if the incentive is available for development in the applicable areas (i.e., increased profits, tax breaks/incentives, worker and/or patient satification) or the results of such applications are mandated.

If a sizable effort was made to develop an end to end solution for healthcare with iPad integration do you feel it would be adopted?

I would reiterate my previous response, but would add that a truly integrated hands-on training process woudl be essential for true adoption of the process both for those who are adverse to ANY technology at all or to those who shun any new types of technology.

I decided with the next few posts to get some feedback from users of technology. Please read the interview below.


Name: Ross McKenzie

Position / Role: (IT Evangelist, Apple Supporter....) IT Director

Years Experience in technology: 20+

Prior to the Apple iPad what were your feelings about the future of the tablet computing marketplace as a whole? 


I have never been a proponent of tablet computing mainly due to what I considered a poor visual interface. Tablet screens have been hard to read and hard to manipulate from the beginning with little, if any, improvement over the years.

   Where do you think the industry was headed? 


I think the use for tablets would have stayed in niche industries for years had he iPad not come along.

   After the iPad?  (Better, worse, explain) 


Much better. The iPad is a clear, crisp screen with very easy to use movements that far surpasses the previous tablets and  is incredibly easy to use.

In the marketplace of tablet computing in healthcare which direction do you think things are headed?


 A connected tablet device is really the future of computing - it's less imposing that a laptop and more inclined to be used for specific clinical, reporting, etc applications.


Is the market trending up? 


I think Apple's release sales figures for the iPad speak for themselves. This is more that Apple fans purchasing the iPad.


With the development of apps for the iPad do you feel developers will make a decent attempt to break into the computing marketplace in healthcare? 


I think it will be the other eay around in the long run - healthcare providers will be developing for the iPad rather than iPad developers going into HealthCare for real productivity tools.


If a sizable effort was made to develop an end to end solution for healthcare with iPad integration do you feel it would be adopted? 


Yes I do. Many of the tools are in pace for surveying, reporting, etc. What's needed is a strategic direction and some investment and this could certainly be feasible.

In just a few weeks the market has been encouraged by the iPad and Healthcare developments.

In a quick google search I got over 11 Million Hits for the two words IPad and Healthcare.





Take a look at the following links.


iPad 3G Arrives: Should the Medical World Care? Yes!

Life as a Healthcare CIO

Science Roll : Pros and Cons

Medical Health Leaders

MedGadget: Roundup

Washington Post: Apple Just May Revolutionize Medicine

I have been thinking pretty hard on this topic and I decided to put together a fact or fiction list in order to better explain my thoughts on the iPad in Healthcare. The next post will have some links to other articles and information.

Fact OR Fiction?

1. The iPad is by itself a revolutionary device for Healthcare
  - Fiction.
While the device may be very revolutionary in its approach to communication, interface and overall usage, it is not able to stand on its own without developer support and adoption.

2. Healthcare is ready for this device
- Fact.
The overall move in the healthcare industry today is moving towards: better, faster, more efficient, and more technological care. Gone are the days where a patients chart can turn up missing. That simply is not acceptable. The government is putting millions into developing more robust systems to get the US back on track and to level the playing field when it comes to healthcare delivery across the world. The iPad with the correct support could really take things to another level.


3. Since some Universities have programs where every student gets an iPhone or iPod touch when entering, an iPad for every doc and hospital worker be accepted as well.
- Fiction (for right now)
   This could change soon. The fear here is that an institution spends the ~20 or $30,000 needed to pilot this and they turn out to be the beta video players of today's time period. While I highly doubt that is the case, people are extremely fearful of mis-investing in technology that may not yield the dividends or results that they need.

4. With the proper developer support this is a no brainer for healthcare
- Fiction.
No new technology is the slam dunk solution people want to see. There are always issues to be resolved and testing needed. The hurdle the iPad will have to face is the Apple moniker that it isn't built for enterprise or business. Perception of this as a non business centric tool will hurt early adoption, but more robust security, better backend deployment support, and a large development community will put it on the right track.

5. This is the future of Healthcare
- Fact.
While this particular iteration may not change the game it dynamically adjusts our perspective. What I like about technology like this is that it pushes the entire market. People that would have never been drawn to a tablet want to see it. Which means more manufacturers will make "iPadesque" devices. Those devices will encourage developers and programs to build specific applications and the cycle starts. Hardware development drives software development which encourages use and implementation which draw more hardware development.

Healthcare will drastically change in the near future. While I may love to see my former pediatrician out at Walmart when I visit that part of town, that is not going to be feasible soon. Doctors provide a service to their patients and with the number of patients increasing much faster than the number of Doctors, something has to give. Technology will be the elastic that keeps this going. Tablet technology will help frame the interface in which we move forward.

Please look at the following video it shows some additional functionality of iPad




This POS system touches on a soup to nuts approach to dining with an iPad and my thoughts are that systems like this will really start to show possibility in numerous markets.

Thanks TUAW.....

The above trailer is from the movie field of dreams. The basic premise is that Kevin Costner's character is driven to build a baseball field in the middle of a corn field, in hopes that people or rather "they" will come.

I felt that this trailer was appropriate for the blog for this reason. Right now infrastructure is being built to allow for major changes in the healthcare tablet computing marketplace. Once the groundwork is built will they (people) use it. That is a very interesting question that I will attempt to start answering here.

Access is a big deal. This relates to the ease of access to devices and systems by those that will use it. If a system is easy to use, but there is one terminal for 100 people, no one will be able to use it. It is imperative that enough are available for those to use it.

Is it Cool???? This is a very loaded question. One would argue that it does not matter if its cool or not, but when it comes to technology as of late the cool factor is one that really matters. For example Oprah, who happens to drive sales and use of almost anything she touches previously supported the Amazon Kindle device. She recently supported the iPad and talked of its great virtues. This will do nothing but bolster the sales and hype of the device. While some would argue that its a quip against Amazon and the Kindle, and great for Apple, it is much more than that. There is this theory in Hollywood that good or bad, publicity is still publicity. As long as they are talking about you its a good thing.

In terms of tablet computing as a whole the more they talk about any device the better everyone is in the end. As the public moves forward with the hype and buzz around the new iPad all it will take is another player to introduce something on the heels of the iPad to keep the buzz going.

Is it easy to use is another question that must be considered as well. There will be more than enough training needed for the systems to be successful, but at first glance can most people get how they are supposed to use it. That seems like a very trivial question, but it goes a long long way to gaining acceptance and then further adoption amongst those that will need to use it.

For example, I have a friend that was anti-iPhone from the day I received mine (first generation 3 years ago). He was so pro Windows Mobile, that he never really considered the iPhone as a viable option for him or his family. With each iteration that the iPhone went through he had more questions for me about if it could do X, or how was Y done, and what about A, B, and C. Eventually all of his questions were answered and when he saw just the sheer ease of use and the potential he not only bought one for himself last summer, he bought one for his wife as well. This is a huge testament to the interface and cool factor of the device, but mostly due to its ease of use. Had the device been difficult to use, he would have never considered it for his wife, and would have been much more hesitant to get one for himself.

As the infrastructure continues to be built and new items are released, if they can focus on the three questions that are posed above users will be willing to give it a shot. If they can focus on these three along with the questions that will be posed in the next post healthcare tablet computing will be the next big thing.