Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad, hits the stores in 2 months. It seems destined to compete successfully in the market for e-readers and netbooks, and some have suggested it will find a niche in health care as well.
The iPad certainly has features that make it attractive to clinicians. It is priced reasonably, for example. In addition, thousands of doctors use iPhones in clinical settings, and for them there is no learning curve. These doctors suspect the iPad’s gorgeous 9.7-inch interface will enhance viewing of patient records and medical images, which are vexing challenges on the iPhone. Doctors will like the iPad’s finger touchscreen for data entry, or if not they can always use an external keyboard (optional).
Even so, surveys taken at the height of last month’s Apple iPad Public Relations Extravaganza suggest that most people doubt the iPad will be a difference-maker in health care, at least short term.
For example, in a reader survey by Healthcare Technology Online, just 5% of respondents thought the iPad would have a major impact in health care. Nearly 20% thought it would have a moderate impact, and 75% thought the iPad would have little or no impact.
Another survey by Epocrates found that 22% of physicians planned to purchase an iPad within a year, a number that is actually quite low given the marked selection bias associated with this survey (Epocrates sells clinical decision support tools in the Apple app store).
A third survey of 178 clinicians and HIT professionals by Software Advice helped explain the lukewarm reaction to iPad health care.
In this survey, 34% of respondents said they were very likely to purchase a tablet computer during the next year, but that 34% figure includes all tablet computers, not just iPads.
That’s important because the Software Advice survey also asked respondents what features were “must-haves” for a health care tablet, and the iPad doesn’t have most of them (see figure below).
Illustration from Software Advice
The iPad has these “must-haves”:
Wi-Fi access
Lightweight hardware
Ergonomic design
The iPad does not have these “must-haves”:
Resistance to dust and liquids
Wide selection of medical software
Fingerprint access
Barcode scanning
Voice-to-text dictation
Integrated camera
RFID reader
So-called “toughbook” tablets for health care typically feature sealed ports, can be disinfected and can withstand spills and drops. These features substantially increase the cost and the weight of the tablet, by comparison to the iPad.
In addition, the iPad also lags behind other tablets when it comes to medical software selection, according to Software Advice. Although there are thousands of medical apps in Apple’s App Store, there’s nothing in there that looks like a “Meaningful Use ready” electronic health record.
It’s also well to remember that the iPad’s battery is not replaceable. If it dies during the day, it can’t be swapped out. The only option is to recharge the device. iPads also lack a microphone, a USB port, and the ability to do multitasking, which pretty much describes what doctors do every minute of their working days.
Conclusion
iPhones and other smart phones have made an impact in health care as drop-in-your-pocket reference tools, but compared with this, the marginal benefit of an iPad seems small, at best. Frankly, I doubt Apple was even thinking about health care when it released its snazzy, consumer-oriented, media-consumption device.
This Just in:
Apple is reportedly working on new product, tentatively called the iShoe. Secret photograph (right) shows early prototype –
Glenn Laffel, MD, PhD
Sr. VP Clinical Affairs, Practice Fusion
