Dr. Richard Watson shows Gustavo Pinor
an X-ray of his sprained ankle on an iPad.
Posted on 10/19/2010 1:06:55 PM PDT by Swordmaker
Emergency room doctors are using them to order lab tests and medication. Plastic surgeons are using them to show patients what they might look like after surgery. And medical residents are using them as a quick reference to look up drug interactions and medical conditions.
Since Apple's iPad hit the market in April, doctors at Chicago area hospitals are increasingly using the hot-selling tablet as a clinical tool.
Not only does the iPad allow doctors to view electronic medical records, wherever they are, it also gives them a way to show patients their X-rays, EKGs and other lab tests on an easy-to-read screen. Plus, it's lighter and has a longer battery life than many laptops, making it convenient for doctors to take on rounds.
Within the next month, the University of Chicago Medical Center plans to provide iPads to all of its internal medicine residents, expanding on a pilot program launched earlier this year. Similarly, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood has given iPads to all of its orthopedic residents as part of a pilot program.
Other doctors are buying their own iPads and using them to interact with patients. At U. of C., for instance, plastic surgeon Dr. Julie Parker uses her iPad to show breast-cancer patients what they might look like after reconstructive surgery.
"The touch screen is intuitive and gives a hands-on experience for patients as they navigate through the pictures," Parker said.
Pulmonary specialists at the hospital also use iPads to explain lung disease to their patients.
Another hospital that has embraced the iPad is MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island. Once doctors there learned that they could access the hospital's electronic medical records with the iPad, "it went through here like wildfire," said Dr. Richard Watson, an emergency room physician at MetroSouth. "At least half of our staff here in the emergency room has their own iPad and carries it and uses it."
Last week, Watson used his iPad to show 14-year-old Gustavo Pintor an X-ray of his sprained right ankle. "It was cool to see," said the teen, who'd gotten hurt at soccer practice. "I feel like I understand what happened now."
Though the iPad provides a portal to the hospital's electronic record, patient information isn't actually stored on the device. And both the iPad and the hospital server are password-protected, lowering the chances that sensitive data could be swiped from a lost or stolen iPad.
Dr. Eric Nussbaum, MetroSouth's emergency room chief, said the iPad also solves one of the problems created by switching from a paper-based record system to an electronic one: having to go to a desktop computer to order lab tests or type in notes on a patient.
"With this, I'm back to the convenience of being in the patient's room, talking to them and plugging in my orders right then and there," he said.
LOL, I read the headline “Ultra portable toilet just what the hospital ordered.”
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Who told you about the Apple product, the iPot??? Better watch out! There must have been a leak...
At the doctors office the nurses all carry around laptops while the doctor usually uses his pda. I haven’t been in awhile but I’m sure they’ll all have tablets of some kind the next time I need to visit.
But we were told that no one would want one of these, especially since it comes without a USB port.
I knew this would be a revolutionary device, and I was among the first to pony up when Apple allowed us to advance order. The more you use it, the more you see what else it can do. I predicted it would take over the hospital, because of it’s small size, long battery life and fantastic display it just seems to scream for this kind of commercial use.
I work at a Catholic hospital, the clientele steel everything nailed down or not. They steel the plastic Jesus off the crosses on the wall, then they pull the crosses off the wall.
They clean out the drawers taking anything that may be useful. They have managed to steal TVs and computers, If you don't keep your phone in your pocket, they disappear in a heart beat.
The iPad is too big for a pocket, I wonder how they keep them from getting stolen.
There are decent spreadsheet apps, too. I'm still figuring out what else it can do. The battery life is amazing.
steel=steal
Also, how well does the capacitive screen work with rubber gloves? Or does the doctor have to remove them to poke at his iPad? Maybe a pressure sensitive screen would be better for that application.
Looks like the capacitive touch display would be a problem. Can you use one with latex or neoprene gloves on?
Ho hum, this is nothing but apple techies pushing the product that can’t do java, can’t do flash etc.. Another war to get us to use an application that won’t allow you to do a lot of things with it. I prefer the tactile feel of a keyboard, but then, that’s just me. Also, as a web designer I find no use for it since I can’t run multiple browsers on it or design websites with it.
Plastic surgeons are using them to show patients what they might look like after surgery.That's just funny. :'D
Just saw on TV last night that one of Japan’s major pest control companies (hornet/wasp nest removal) has switched their trucks over to iPads.
That surprised me.
Japanese businesses normally wait and buy Japanese products whenever they can, even if the Japanese product takes longer to arrive, does less and is more expensive — all three of which are usually the case.
I would have expected them to do the same here, waiting for some MS-type pad to show up with Japanese software and then buy that.
Interesting.
I did, too!
Some doctor, medico or nurse or what have you whips out an iPad I’ll laugh and say -— “I’m not impressed by that Apple jive. Don’t let me catch you overcharging me just because you have an iPad” What did impress me was seeing a dentist who had an LCD on a swivel arm and could show me the X-Rays within a minute
Although I’m not a big fan of Apple (I have an iMac that sits in my living room and does absolutely nothing. Why use it? I have had at least 2 PC’s for the last 20 years) I think Apple hit a grand slam with the iPad. Medical apps were the first thing I thought of. Hell, that thing might even be easy to sterilize and use in an OR.
Your iMac needs to be liberated. I will gladly send you an address and pay for postage.
Sorry Mr Heart-Attack-just-run-over-by-a-truck, my iPad has broke, but it’s still under warranty, do you mind waiting?
> That's just funny. :'D
"Wow, Doc, you mean I'm going to be thin and flat and sort of rectangular? Cool..."
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