Move Over Skynet, iPad is Taking Over

I've blogged about mobile computing and various devices on numerous occasions, including when the iPad launched several months ago. Since that time, the sales of iPads have been jaw-dropping, selling 3 million in the first 80 days. And one of the most interesting things to me is the speed at which iPads are being adopted in medical and healthcare settings. In addition, studies are showing a decided physician preference for the Apple interface (iPhone, iPod, and now iPad). What's even more impressive is that physician smartphone use is at 94% according to recent research. This points to the rapid adoption of mobile technology for finding and sharing information, crucial for docs, because let's face it, medicine is an increasingly mobile field.

Just last week, Stanford University announced that it would begin providing iPads to incoming medical students at the end of this month. You can read all about it here. This comes on the heels of similar announcement by University of California Irvine. And recent articles and blog posts point out the high rate of iPad adoption by physicians. And it's not just a US-oriented trend. Even Australian docs are going to be getting iPads.

Although the technorati initially panned the iPad for the lack of things like a camera, the fact is that the device delivers unique capabilities and a great user experience (Dan Frommer did a nice photo-essay on this) and is selling like crazy and gaining momentum in key areas, such as medicine.

The question is no longer, "Will the iPad change medicine", but "HOW MUCH will the iPad change medicine?" Dr. Bryan Vartabedian addresses this in a recent post on his "33 Charts" blog.

He points out that it's not just the device itself that is important, but how it will engage the adoption of mobile health, noting that the recent announcements from Stanford and UIC could herald a turning point: 

"What’s remarkable to me is how this represents the first real step towards the integration of mobile health functionality in the lives of the next generation of physicians."

"The benefits of a portable, multimedia device during the information dense first and second years are a no brainer.  But it will be interesting to see how things evolve as we push students into rotations in hospitals that haven’t embraced mobile applications with attendings who don’t use iPads.  I suspect that this could have the very interesting effect of forcing adoption in settings that have been resistant to mobile health technology."

Another great point that he makes about the next generation of medical students is that they will not wait for their institutions to create networks for them to interact -- if necessary, they will create their own. I've already seen this happen at one of southern medical schools that I lectured at. The students wanted to share cases not only with their own institutional peers, but with colleages at other institutions. Their familiarity with technology prompted them to create their own private sharing community so they could learn from eachother's work. This will be an increasing trend if institutions don't begin to meet this need. It's one more step in the evolution of the intersection and alignment of mobile technology and education.

So what's your experience? Have you used an iPad at your practice, and if so what's your take? Is your institution encouraging adoption of iPhones and iPads due to the large number of apps available? Do they integrate with your health information management system and/or EMR/EHR system? I'd like to hear about your experiences.

About the Author

Stephen Welch

Senior Vice President, Communications
Executive Editor, CHEST

This blog, "It Ain't Rocket Surgery" is intended to help busy health-care professionals find useful online and mobile resources that will enhance their self-education and professional research efforts, or point out important topics of discussion related to online information and content. The blog's title is a Yogi Berra style mash-up of two common phrases, "it ain't brain surgery" and "it ain't rocket science". I hope it will be casual, fun, insightful, and -- most of all -- educational.

You can follow me on Twitter. 

I currently serve ACCP as the Senior Vice President of Communications, as well as the Executive Editor of CHEST, the ACCP’s flagship journal. During my 15 years here, ACCP has focused on growing and developing the editorial, technological, and business aspects of the College. We are constantly striving to make the journal and other ACCP educational content as accessible and useful to clinicians as possible.

When not at work, I like to spend time scuba diving with sharks, collecting original comic book artwork, exploring the digital world, and searching for good BBQ.

Your feedback about the blog is always appreciated. So are tips on good BBQ joints.