The tablet computer has proven to be enormously popular in the medical world, thanks mainly to its portability, but the smaller and lighter iPad Mini is now the device of choice for the majority of physicians.
Recent surveys have found that tablet use by medical personnel has almost doubled since 2011, with half of those using their devices actually at the point of care. Medical students and doctors find a tablet device to be a great tool for taking bedside notes, the camera can also be utilized for keeping visual records of patient progress. Survey results also show that the rate of smartphone and tablet adoption among physicians is significantly higher than it is throughout the US population generally.
It seemed that even when it was just a rumor, one in three physicians planned to buy the iPad Mini, with its smaller size being the main attraction. Doctors and medical students consider the iPad Mini much more convenient to use at the bedside as it fits nicely into the palm of the hand, it is also easier carry around on hospital rounds because it fits very well in the pocket of a lab coat. A lab coat pocket is generally 7.5 inches wide and 8.5 inches long, the iPad Mini is 5.3 inches wide and 7.87 inches long, so even with a protective case the iPad Mini is perfect for lab coat pockets!
The ability to access Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is top of the list of the ways that doctors and other medical staff prefer to use mobile technology such as the iPad Mini. Physicians are finding it more efficient and convenient to look up a patient’s history and record of treatment whilst sitting at their bedside, treatment can be revised and notes can be added at the point of care or during rounds.
Lightweight and a convenient lab coat pocket size, easier to read than a smartphone and less intrusive and cheaper than a laptop, it seems there is little doubt that the iPad Mini is perfectly prescribed for the busy physician of today!
Special Thanks University of Michigan Medical School Information Services for providing the image of Dr Theodore Sanford-Anesthesiology