Docs Have iPad Fever: Is There A Cure?

In case you're questioning reports of a tablet epidemic in healthcare, take a look at stats from a QuantiaMD survey.

Thirty percent of doctors use a tablet device, compared with just 5% of U.S. consumers, the online physicians' forum said. Of tablet-using physicians, two-thirds, equivalent to 19% of all physicians, use their tablet in a clinical setting. Another 35% of doctors surveyed say they're "extremely likely" to use a tablet in the next few years to help their practice. That sounds like a fever to me. It's probably no surprise to most health IT managers to hear that Apple's iPad tops the list of tablets that clinicians want to use. But if your clinicians are hot for an iPad, my advice is take two aspirins and call me in the morning. iPad fever has gotten a little out of hand. Granted, there are lots of practical advantages to using one, including all the medical apps that run seamlessly on it, but the iPad burn goes deeper than that.