Apple just yesterday introduced the iPad, essentially an iPhone on steroids that bridges the gap between smartphones and small computers.
Will this be the platform that accelerates eHealthcare on the provider side (hospitals, doctors, medical education, etc.)?
I say yes. Here’s why:
First of all, the pace at which doctors are using smartphones as part of their practice (and especially iPhone/iPod Touch) is accelerating dramatically, as is uptake/usage of the applications (see here, here). Younger doctors especially will not want to practice untethered medicine.
Second, we are now at a place where the convergence of form factor, power, connectivity, affordability, and functionality argue for widespread adoption. An iPhone screen is pretty small. A laptop is inconvenient. An iPad which can be used for data lookup, data entry, point-of-need multimedia education and reference, and access to electronic health records – what’s not to like?
Third, because Apple knows how to create interfaces, and because app development is now in full swing, this device and its siblings (iPhone and iPod Touch) cross the threshold of easy. That’s crucial for rapid uptake. Also, it’s not a totally “new” device, so many of the potential users will be accustomed to the interface scheme.
Imagine an iPad mounted in hospital patient rooms, and other doctor-useful locations. A physician comes into the room, equipped with an iPhone, and the iPhone sends a signal to the iPad. A quick biometric finger scan and the doctor is “in” the system, with access to all information and medical records necessary for the patient. When the doctor leaves, he/she logs out, or failing that, once his/her iPhone is 20 feet out of range, the system logs the user off. Or the doctor simply carries around an iPad for always-on accessibility during rounds and other daily duties.
It’s not so much that the iPad is a gamechanger in and of itself – it should be an accelerator of trends that are already happening, and inevitable. It’s a right-device-at-the-right-time evolution. It could also be a fabulous tool for a pharma salesforce, but that’s another subject.
(More: Read this post by Christopher Penn, talking about sales and marketing, but note the ease and all-in-one themes. Also this Mashable article, with the payoff in the last paragraph. On the pharma side, I’d guess that Sally Church agrees with me).
Lots of other possibilities come to mind – what do you think? Gamechanger – or big yawn?
[Update: some contrarian points here, and some wait-and-see thoughts here. Mostly valid – but as I mention in the comments, iPad 2.0 will likely address most of these]
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[…] Apple’s new iPad – gamechanger for eHealth? I say Yes – here’s why. […]
The (small, country) GP practice I go to already is entirely laptop-based, from the weigh-in to your chart to writing your prescription and sending it electronically to the local pharmacy.
The iPad can be a prettier way for them to do that, but I think they’re really already there! As you say, it’s not a game-changer, but it might make the shift to going paperless more palatable for some people.
Steve,
Great, timely post. I’m with you, but for slightly different reasons. Here’s why:
Everyone is trying to make apps for health, which is great and that’ll work in some cases and have an impact on patient health and, ultimately sales.
Physicians are also using apps to make their practice simpler, such as medication calculators and staging tools.
I think either of these are fine, but where I think the real value comes is when these two come together. Physicians using the technology of an iPhone (now iPad) to help patient education and understanding. What’s better: a two minute verbal explanation (in doctor language) or a video or interactive simulator that the patient and doc walk through together. Clearly, the latter.
The iPad makes this even simpler if only because it’s a bigger screen and will make it easier to see and use for both doctor and patient. This is the direction I see these devices headed. Not independent tools for patients or doctors, but tools they use together.
Jonathan
Dose of Digital
Jonthan,
Absolutely correct. The form factor is the big deal here. And when iPad 2.0 comes out, with all the “missing pieces” added, it’ll truly be revolutionary.
Apple’s efforts in healthcare is greatly hampered by its limited enterprise offerings, consumer focus and the need to customize- the right form factor, the right cases, the right docks and/or carts, integration with electronic medical records in compliance with HIPAA. Doctors and healthcare organizations are a pretty cautious bunch when it comes to IT, so this iPad has limited potential in healthcare. There are companies out there, like Motion Computing, that offer more viable solutions.
[…] Apple’s iPad and eHealth – Gamechanger? (impactiviti.wordpress.com) […]
Steve,
One point to consider is if the iPad can disrupt how healthcare professionals consume and apply all the data available in healthcare, it can be a huge game changer. Today all the EMR/EHR/PHR/ERx companies are racing to establish systems that can consolidate data to help improve management. This includes sophisticated predictive models that could implement alerts to doctors based on admission data or other criteria that (in theory) could greatly improve quality measures, etc. The challenge now is that no simple, central platform exists as a conduit of all this data so that docs can actually use it. If the iPad can serve as this vehicle, it will be a disruptor.
On the patient side, as some of the underlying participatory medicine trends continue to grow, it would be interesting to see if a subset of patients also use it to aggregate and view their own health data.
Lots of possibilities.
Dennis
We must have been thinking on the same track at the same time, Steve 🙂
Definitely a lot of potential healthcare possibilities abound and I agree the second generation will probably be even more awesome.
As our worlds get busier, you can see the need for more lighter, faster, mobile and connected tools. The iPad helps to facilitate how we consume information on the web, in the cloud, with others etc.
Definitely a game changer – I see it sitting nicely between the iPod and the laptop while out remotely for many people, whether in health care or as empowered patients.
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I agree with Steve ipad right now has a lot of drawbacks but its second version may be much bettter
The ipod touch 3G was the first ipod I had ever purchased. It was a big decision too, as the thing is a bit pricey. However, I just thought I was buying myself a really cool music player. I didn’t realize I was basically getting an iphone (better than an iphone if you ask me# that can’t make phone calls!! It surfs the web, gets on itunes directly from the ipod, and plays games/apps just like an iphone. I do love the large selection of free apps; they are not as good, generally, as the ones you pay for, but still neat. Also, the itunes app is incredibly user friendly, as is everything else on the touch. I forget how much money I’ve spent sometimes!! #minor flaw—it’s almost TOO easy!# The only cons I can think of are that the battery is not the longest lasting–unless you turn the brightness down to pretty dim–the wireless is not as strong as that of a laptop, and you can’t edit playlists/rename songs or really do anything other than play songs using the ipod itself. It all has to be done on the computer. Also, it needs to come with a charger other than the link to the computer. I don’t always have a computer handy, but I almost always can find a wall outlet. It comes with nice headphones that sound great and stay in your ear well #I do love to run with it), and the genius feature is great for this as well.
A. Meyer
The ipod touch 3G was the first ipod I had ever purchased. It was a big decision too, as the thing is a bit pricey. However, I just thought I was buying myself a really cool music player. I didn’t realize I was basically getting an iphone (better than an iphone if you ask me# that can’t make phone calls!! It surfs the web, gets on itunes directly from the ipod, and plays games/apps just like an iphone. I do love the large selection of free apps; they are not as good, generally, as the ones you pay for, but still neat. Also, the itunes app is incredibly user friendly, as is everything else on the touch. I forget how much money I’ve spent sometimes!! #minor flaw—it’s almost TOO easy!# The only cons I can think of are that the battery is not the longest lasting–unless you turn the brightness down to pretty dim–the wireless is not as strong as that of a laptop, and you can’t edit playlists/rename songs or really do anything other than play songs using the ipod itself. It all has to be done on the computer. Also, it needs to come with a charger other than the link to the computer. I don’t always have a computer handy, but I almost always can find a wall outlet. It comes with nice headphones that sound great and stay in your ear well #I do love to run with it), and the genius feature is great for this as well.
A. Meyer
There is no security in the Apple line up of products. Hence,
Health information is not secure and Rx writing is open to abuse.
Close the loop Apple.