At the beginning of the iPad 2 event yesterday, Apple played a video that showed the various ways the iPad had been utilized in 2010 – from the classroom to sales teams. The video also spent time featuring how the iPad has been used in medicine.
Dr. John Halamka, Chief Information Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who we have mentioned numerous times in the past, was featured in the “2010, the year of the iPad” video. He talked about how the iPad is being used in the physician workflow, and how physicians are able to spend more time with patients because of the iPad.
You can see the full presentation on Apple’s website here, the medical portion begins about at 12 minutes.
Apple’s video showed physicians interacting with their iPads in a few different manners:
*A physician was shown displaying a patient’s EKG results to them.
*A physician was shown displaying gastrointestinal pathology to a patient, focusing on the gallbladder, and most likely explaining to a patient the mechanism of cholecystitis, or prepping them for a cholecystectomy.
*A physician is shown using a DICOM viewer that enables them to go through a patient’s radiology images with them at bedside.
But the ultimate quote of the Apple video, by Dr. Halamka, who truly is one of the unique innovators in not only medicine but technology as a whole (we encourage you to read his blog):
The iPad will change the way doctors practice medicine
This bold statement, and Apple featuring the iPad in medicine, could be signs Apple is going to take the mobile healthcare field more seriously. At the very least, it shows Apple is aware of the significant impact the iPad is having on medicine, and the potential it holds.
Steve Jobs himself said during the keynote speech, when referencing the plethora of apps available for the iPad:
Steve Jobs:
…a lot of apps for business, and vertical markets, like medical
Other key uses shown in the video — How the iPad has changed the lives for kids with autism. This is something we have featured multiple times before, and it was nice to see Apple acknowledge the developers who have created transformational apps enabling children with autism to communicate better.
Source: Apple Keynote Video (11:40 minute mark)
The question is: an iPad per doctor or an iPad per patient?
I would think iPad per doc, but then again there are some good healthcare apps for patient use. (Lifestyle modification apps – weight loss, etc)
I was thinking in an hospital setting: one dedicated iPad per patient / bed as if it was a personal chart.
both.
I really appreciate you guys filling in the gaps for us. I am about to dive into an Anatomy class and would love to know what app(s) that you would recommend for me. I have purchased a couple of useless, expensive anatomy apps (Pocket Body HD, 3D4 Pro series), but none of these are extensive enough or have enough features. Ideally, I would love to be able to select what is being displayed, so that in a quiz, it only shows what I’m trying to learn, you know? Any ideas?
Also, do you know what anatomy app Malik Burnett from Duke is using in the iPad 2 video?
I’m sure the new Health Care Bill will have plenty of funding for hospitals across the nation to purchase iPads.
And the budget with the mega-trillion $$ deficit should pay for iPads????