iPad 2 looks even better for docs

March 03, 2011 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple introduced the iPad 2 on Tuesday with a special event that included a video highlighting the technology's use in different fields, with an appearance by John Halamka, MD, chief information officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

"Sometimes doctors are overwhelmed with data," said Halamka on the video shown at Apple's launch event. "What we have tried to do on the iPad is give doctors at the point of care the tools they need at the exact moment the doctor can make a difference.

"We are finding with the iPad, is that doctors are spending more time with patients, in fact doctors are engaging patients by showing them images, showing them data on the screen," he added. "So it is empowering doctors to be more productive. But it has also brought doctors and patients together.

"So I think what is so exciting about the iPad is that it will change the way doctors practice medicine," Halamka concluded.

In a new online survey released Thursday 79 percent of U.S. healthcare professionals (HCPs) said they would choose Apple's iPad for professional use. The survey was conducted by Aptilon Corporation, which used its ReachNet Physician Access Channel to recruit HCP participation in a survey on tablet and mobile technology from Feb. 7-16.

Among the responding HCPs that already have an iPad, 59 percent said they use the device for medically related tasks, including receiving and reviewing information updates, as a tool during their standard practice and to complete paperwork.

The survey also found that about 38 percent of U.S. HCPs will own an Apple iPad within the next year. Additional respondents said they would use an iPad if supplied to them by a third party or an employer.

"The research indicates that the Apple iPad is going to be an ever more important part of a HCP's daily life as a tool to enhance productivity and remaining up to date with the latest developments in their medical field," said Aptilon COO Mark Benthin. "As the number of HCPs using iPads increases, Aptilon expects to see increasing opportunities for interactions between industry professionals and HCPs seeking relevant medical content using their tablets."

New features of the iPad 2 include a new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, but maintains the same battery life. It features Apple's new dual-core A5 processor for improved speed and boosted graphics and comes with two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video – something that healthcare professional should find very handy.

The iPad 2 Smart Cover is also something that the healthcare industry ought to welcome. It provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. It is designed with a self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, and automatically wakes iPad 2 when it's opened and puts it to sleep when it's closed. The cover also includes a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, said the iPad "has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices. While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we're launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again."

The Pad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 with a suggested retail price starting at $499 for the 16GB model and up to $829 for the 64GB model.

Reader Comments (29)Login to Post a Comment

hobie18 says: iPads take over for Tablet PC's

March 25, 2011 | 1:24PM GMT

For years now the tablet PC was the only choice for physicians if they wanted mobile access to their EHR at the point of care. The complaints by physicians have often been the size and weight of tablet PCs. While some tablet PCs are only a 2-3 pounds an iPad is a fraction of the weight and smaller in footprint. iPads should increase the adoption of EHR at the point of care.

browniesrn says: Half of the battle with IT

March 24, 2011 | 3:37PM GMT

Half of the battle with IT progress is attitude. Most of our physicians have Iphones and or IPads for personal use so when approached to use an IPad for rounds and charting, they already have a comfort level. Plus, they consider the IPad "cool" and that always helps as well. Apple could do a great deal of business if they were to sink some money into making it less fragile and by courting some larger healthcare conglomerations to consider using. I think it would catch on like wildfire.

nrenicker says: useful apps for the ipad?

March 21, 2011 | 9:07AM GMT

I'm wondering which ipad apps have been developed to date that are most useful for healthcare professionals? I'd love to hear your favorites, and your dream apps - the ones that you'd love to see created.

mpfortier says: iOS

March 16, 2011 | 10:28AM GMT

I second the motion about android powered tablets. It is just a matter of time before models equivalent to the $i$P$a$d$ take over.

askal says: Security

March 14, 2011 | 10:10AM GMT

Yes the Ipad and other mobole devices are providing a benefit to the physician's ability to perform more tasks more efficiently re patients.
But along with this is needed tight seurity processes around the use of these devices.
Having patient data on devices such as the Ipad can create the potential for confidentilaity breaches.

mk01 says: If the applications that are

March 18, 2011 | 11:59AM GMT

If the applications that are developed on the iPad claim that the patient data is maintained only on the back end systems, there's still the question of where that data might be cached during the trip from a central secured location and the output to the iPad screen. As an IT Security professional, I'd need to know what tools I could use to work with the proprietary Apple iPad operating system to verify that those caches of information are properly flushed.

2991058 says: Android preferred

March 12, 2011 | 1:21PM GMT

In the long run, iPad will be an expensive outlier.

I won't use anything that doesn't have the Android OS, because that will be what is prevalent by next year (it already is the leading OS for smartphones).

iPad is a niche market for people hooked into the cult of Apple, but for cost-effective IT, it is not the way of the future.

granmx2 says: Android vs Apple

March 24, 2011 | 8:45AM GMT

I am also an Android user and much prefer it to Apple, however I'm in the IT department. I have found, through working with physicians, that they are infatuated with Apple products. I think it stems from the use of Macs for research purposes as every doc I talk to says they are far superior for their research projects than PCs are (without any real supporting facts). I think before Android has a chance in the medical arena, a giant cultural shift must take place for physicians to begin adopting android based solutions. I think that as telemedicine continues to expand its presence in large health systems, the lacking ability of Apple products to communicate via telecommunications standards may sway physicians away from Apple to Android devices, time will only tell.

SurfDoc says: iPad2

March 12, 2011 | 8:40AM GMT

I'll get one, and yes download voice recognition app, too.

rdavis61 says: iPad Trials

March 11, 2011 | 12:40PM GMT

I recently purchased two iPads for my docs and clinicians to test. I was concerned about the small keyboard but eliminated that by using Dragon Speech. Now our iPad users talk all of their data into the device and our EHR instead of type. They carry the iPad around with them and while inputting notes they can still talk to clients face-to-face. So far they are excited about using them and we plan on deploying many more next fiscal.