By Britta Barrett | Posted February 22 2010
The iPad. Whether you think it’s an over-sized iPhone or a breakthrough device, its effect on the healthcare industry is fascinating to ponder. Will it change the way doctors keep medical records? Jumpstart a flurry of new applications designed to treat speech-impairing conditions?
Technology alone may not change your health, at least not unless healthcare professionals embrace it. But, says Dr. Kevin Pho, for those interested in leveraging the iPad to improve patient care, there’s plenty they can do. Of his ten ideas, these are the ones I find the most intriguing:
1. Utilize the iPad as a teaching tool for patients, using various forms of multimedia to teach them about specific conditions and illnesses.
2. Keep an iPad in the waiting room, and fill it with content on health and wellness. (This sounds much more interesting than reading three month old magazines!)
3. Use the iPad as a clipboard. Take advantage of its light weight and carry it around the office.
4. Relax anxious patients by playing soothing music in the exam room.
5. Turn it into an aid when conducting physical exams.
The clipboard idea is near and dear to us at GE, as we’ve been working hard to help reduce barriers to adoption of electronic medical records, or EMRs. We’ve fast-tracked a program that makes it easier for healthcare providers to access EMR technologies. Handling paperwork is slow and tedious. EMRs will lead to greater interactivity with physicians and medical records, and patients can have greater access to information. If your doctor can electronically transmit prescriptions directly to pharmacies, those could be waiting for you before you even leave the doctor’s office. EMRs represent a brand new era in healthcare. And if the iPad can be a part of it…even better.
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