Apple iPad in Healthcare: Pros and Cons January 31, 2010
Posted by Dr. Bertalan Meskó in Health 2.0, Innovation, Invention, Medicine, Medicine 2.0, Mobile, eHealth.trackback
I’m not really an Apple fan, but I’m always open to innovations in healthcare. Last week was centered around iPad both in the news and the blogosphere as more and more bloggers started to describe its potential role in healthcare. It’s obvious now that healthcare will go through some major changes in the next few years due to EMRs (electronic medical records) and PHRs (personal health records). Though Boston has already gone through this.
Tablet solutions have a clear future (pdf) but as Apple tablet representatives were spotted at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a few weeks ago, it seems iPad might have a shot in healthcare as well. Let’s see what can happen.
Possible cons from the healthcare aspect:
- No camera: it means it cannot be used in telemedicine
- No flash: several medical websites use Flash
- No mouse support: it’s not a disadvantage if there won’t be click-heavy applications
- Battery life: It is somewhere around 10 hours which is enough for a doctor working on the hospital but what happens when the iPad gets handed off to the next person? Dying battery can be swapped out for a fresh one in other tablet solutions. Here there won’t be enough time to re-charge iPads.
- It’s too big to fit into a doctor’s pocket.
- iPad is not ruggedized while other healthcare tablets are drop resistant from about a meter.
- No Multi-tasking: it makes it impossible to write a patient report while consulting with a collegue (there are hundreds of examples why multi-tasking is crucial)
- No barcode scanner: it’s used for checking and uploading drugs, among others.
- Such a device should be water-proof and easily disinfected. iPad wasn’t designed for this.
- The iPad has a capacitive touch screen on which gloves won’t work.
Possible pros:
- If there is a company that can get the best out of such a device, that is Apple.
- Probably there will be more and more medical applications designed exclusively for iPad just like there are so many medical apps for iPhone.
- It’s cheaper than other healthcare tablets.
- It was designed to be as user-friendly as possible (a nice advantage of Apple products) so elderly people will also be able to learn to use it easily.
- One scenario might be having an iPad in the hospital as the central database where doctors can upload the information from the iPhones.
If I miss anything, please let me know so I can improve the list.
I think iPad has the potential to become the No.1 healthcare tablet, but it has to go through plenty of changes and innovations in order to become a serious competitor in this race.
Resources:
- MobileHealthNews
- Kevin, MD one and two
- Read Write Web
- Lucien Engelen
[...] Apple iPad in Healthcare: Pros as well as Cons « ScienceRoll [...]
[...] more: Apple iPad in Healthcare: Pros and Cons « ScienceRoll Posted in iPad | Tags: and-the, describe-its, logosphere-as-more, major-changes, more-and, [...]
The Ipad is not a new idea at all, but whenever apple makes the product, its hailed as the next big thing. Sure, it could easily be one of the new products for healthcare, patients reading up on their own illness (whichever) – but it sure isn’t new.
The whole multitasking thing is moot, because a third party vendor will offer your iPad to run Windows 7 via cloud computing solution. So you are running apps on a server running Windows, you can knock your socks off doing multitasking, and not have to worry about draining your battery while doing it. Happy now?
We’re in ‘phase 2′ of the iPad when all the pundits come out and complain (they did the same thing with the iPhone and later ate their words). See David Pogue’s insightful article on this phenomenon: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/david-pogues-first-look-at-the-apple-ipad/
Oh so well said, and there will be plenty once it comes out for a few months.
I love how the cons don’t make sense.
No camera: it means it cannot be used in telemedicine
NICE IDEA BUT THE 2 DOCTORS I GO TO DON’T HAVE IT EITHER
THEY USE TOUCH SCREEN LAPTOP AND CONSIDERING THE WEIGHT
No flash: several medical websites use Flash
YES THANK YOU FOR NO FLASH, TRUE SOME PLACES USE IT, AND DOES IT DOG A LOT OF COMPUTERS, MAYBE IF ADOBE OPTIMIZED IT, GIVE ME HTML5.
Battery life: It is somewhere around 10 hours.
DOCTORS ACTUALLY CHANGE BATTERY, WHEN IN WHAT PLACE HAVE YOU SEEN THIS, LUCKY I CAN GET SOME TO WASH THEIR HANDS.
It’s too big to fit into a doctor’s pocket.
GET AN IPHONE, CANT PUT LAPTOPS IN POCKET EITHER.
iPad is not ruggedized while other healthcare tablets are drop resistant from about a meter.
TRUE SO GET LIKE THE IPHONE A RUBER TIRE WHEN IT COMES OUT, OR TRY NOT TO DROP IT TO MUCH IF POSSIBLE, ITS A TOOL NOT A HUCKY PUCK.
No Multi-tasking: it makes it impossible to write a patient report while consulting with a collegue (there are hundreds of examples why multi-tasking is crucial)
THIS IS NOT STAR TREK, GET A REALITY CHECK, BATTERY DROP TO HALF WITH TRUE MULTITASKING, GO WITH LAPTOP WITH 2 HOUR BATTERY FOR THAT.
No barcode scanner: it’s used for checking and uploading drugs, among others.
I AM REALLY LOST ON THIS ONE, THOUGH A CAMERA WOULD HAVE HELPED ON THIS ONE, THIS IS NOT A PRODUCT DESIGNED FOR JUST COOPERATE AMERICA, ADDON WILL DEAL WITH THIS.
Such a device should be water-proof and easily disinfected. iPad wasn’t designed for this.
AND NEVER WILL, BUT CONSIDERING HOW MUCH DISINFECTING WE DO IN HOSPITAL TO CHARTS, NON IS THE ANSWER, DON’T WORRY CLEAN ENOUGH FOR BASIC USE, AND AUTHOR DID YOU READ ITS GLASS AND STAINLESS STEEL, MUCH MORE SANITARY THAN PAPER/PLASTIC CHARTS.
The iPad has a capacitive touch screen on which gloves won’t work. VERY TRUE, THIS ONE WOULD LIMIT THE PRODUCT TO REAL WORLD USAGE AND NOT STAR TREK WORLD. MAYBE ONE DAY SOMEONE ELSE WILL BRING OUT SOMETHING THAT WORKS AND HAVE THIS FEATURE. BUT I AM NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.
[...] now, website ScienceRoll is talking about it. A highlight Possible cons from the healthcare [...]
Camera – It’s questionable how useful a camera would be, but admittedly, it would be a nice addition, but not necessarily a ‘con’
No Flash – I would move this to the ‘pro’ column! Flash is clunky and unstable. It will be painful to wait for HTML5 to catch on, but it will.
No Mouse – This is a departure in the way we think about computing devices… does anyone complain that an iPhone doesn’t have mouse support? No… because the interface is not the same point and click interface we have infused in our brain.
Battery – I don’t think this will be an issue. No one walks around with these types of devices for hours on end without setting them down. There will be docking stations, and the apps and data we use on them won’t be tied to just that one device; it will be on the local network or a form of cloud. That being said, I don’t think these devices will be mobile thin clients either.
Too Big – Okay… get an iPod Touch. The OS is the same. Your healthcare apps will have dual interfaces for each situation. Docs can pull up data on either.
Ruggedized – I am sure someone will come up with a ‘skin’ for it that would help it in this aspect. To be honest… most the devices I have looked at that have the iPad’s same category of device cost $2k or more. iPad is almost disposable at this price point (relatively speaking)
Multitasking – People don’t typically multitask; they rapidly refocus on different tasks. The iPad and Touches do the same; hit the home button and switch between apps as you need them. Ultimately it is up to the app devs to design their software around how people work. If someone needs to have two separate screens open, the dev needs to look at how their software works.
Bar Code Scanner – See http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/03/exclusive_look_at_apples_new_ipod_touch_based_easypay_checkout.html It wouldn’t be hard for some company to make the perfect accessory for clinical settings.
Water/Disinfection/Gloves – There is room for improvement here. Maybe it would be possible for a disposable skin to be created or gloves that allow for electrical conduction. This isn’t insurmountable.
I appreciate your article and what you have included here. They are all good thoughts to consider. I think the biggest challenge that the iPad will face for adoption is whether the devs create great software for it. Our HIS vendor has their eye on this platform (iPod Touch, etc.) but they are approaching it from the perspective of a web page developer. What makes this platform shine is the departure from the old point-and-click desktop metaphor, to a new, more intuitive interface that you navigate with a finger. It would be a mistake for anyone to look at these devices from the perspective of a desktop or laptop and this is why previous devices like pen based tablets never really caught on.
The bacteria issue has been addressed with the iPhone and I am sure will be with the iPad:
http://www.ninjacase.com/collections/ionarmour-antimicrobial-antibacterial-iphone-cases
http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=4846&t_mode=des
[...] ScienceRoll: Pros and Cons [...]
[...] Bertalan Mesko aponta alguns inconvenientes, como falta de uma câmera para telemedicina; a carga da bateria quando acaba e o trabalho deve continuar terá que carregar novamente; o não suporte a mouse; não possuir flash e muitos sites médicos são em flash. Bertalan destaca um fato importante quando cita a questão de não ser possível usar o teclado quando estiver usando luvas. Algumas destas dificuldades certamente devem ser minimizadas com os acessórios que estão previstos para o equipamento e na versão 2.0. [...]
[...] http://scienceroll.com/2010/01/31/apple-ipad-in-healthcare-pros-and-cons/ [...]
The Ipads 700 grams weight is not very light in the hands especially when the ipad has to be held in one hand to do work on it.
Quick it may be for the elderly to lean to use but much to heavy for most to carry around without the fear of dropping it.
Derek
I’m certain it will work very well on wireless broadband, can’t wait for it to arrive down under.
Nice gadget but I think like other stuff from Apple is overpriced.
Hmm, I think the device is pretty cheap. It is less than the original iPhone and has the other vendors (Acer, etc) scrambling. But if you must, have fun with your $250 ‘netbook’
… or wait a few years so you can enjoy the affordable version, while complaining about whatever their latest product will be.
[...] Meanwhile, a January 2010 post in Science Roll enumerated the “Pros” and “Cons” of the iPad for healthcare professionals on a more logistical level. [...]
[...] other fields have already started analyzing the iPad’s pro and cons. I personally find the iPad’s possible deployment in the health care field to be a good guide for what libraries can think about and anticipate before adding iPads to their [...]
[...] Meanwhile, a January 2010 post in Science Roll enumerated the “Pros” and “Cons” of the iPad for healthcare professionals on a more logistical level. [...]
[...] iPad arrives for doctors … (The Search Principle blog): I’ve recently written about the pros and cons of iPad in healthcare. Dean Giustini now provides us with more updates. Here is a health-related iPad [...]
[...] iPad arrives for doctors … (The Search Principle blog): I’ve recently written about the pros and cons of iPad in healthcare. Dean Giustini now provides us with more updates. Here is a health-related iPad [...]
[...] ScienceRoll: Apple iPad in healthcare, Pros and Cons: http://scienceroll.com/2010/01/31/apple-ipad-in-healthcare-pros-and-cons/ [...]
I get that you wrote this prior to the release, but as a Doctor of Clinical Psychology who works in hospitals, this device has huge potential. Both Bluetooth mice and keyboards work with the device just fine, so you can remove that comment from your cons section. Also, several companies are working on covers, wraps and various types of protectors for the unit, so that really isn’t an issue. Add on camera packages handle the need for scans and conferencing, plus the barcode scanner you mention. Simple modifications make this very useable in a medical environment. And this is only the first release. The real power is in the applications which can be built to customize a healthcare provider’s needs. A secure wireless network with digital files for intakes, diagnosis and treatment planning WHILE having the web, your medical ref books (DSM in my field) at your fingertips and assessment tools, all in one compact powerful device, I only see more productivity. Not to mention patients tend to have more anxiety when multiple pages of paper are flipped around during an intake with the doc writing… Here, everything is in one place and, so far, seems to lessen the anxiety. I believe this is an argument of simply needing to think outside the box and allow adaptation to occur within each clinician and physician as we all work towards more efficient systems to serve those in need.
Thank you for the comment, it’s good to see some examples where this device really works in clinical practice.
[...] Medicine 2.0, Mobile, Video, Web 2.0. trackback When the iPad was launched and I wrote about the pros and cons regarding its use in healthcare, I was sure only about one thing: there would soon be many potential applications. Well, PadGadget [...]
[...] I also recommend dr. Berci Meskó’s fantastic blog post titled “Apple Ipad in Healthcare: Pros and Cons“ [...]
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