Is Your Doctor's iPad Good For Your Health?

Slowly but surely, iPads are changing the face of medicine. Surgeons, physicians, nurses, and residents regularly use the ubiquitous tablets to check electronic health records (EHRs), patient notes, journal articles, procedure notes, or just to access patient imaging. iPad use isn't limited to offices and hallways either: Sterilized iPads are frequently found in the operating room as well.

One recent academic study in Medical Reference Services Quarterly found widespread iPad use among clinicians at one sample hospital, Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Hospital. Pennsylvania Hospital is similar to most other hospitals nationwide in terms of iPad adaption. For medical professionals, iPads--and pocket-sized iPad Minis--are optimal tools for quick image reference while hustling from room to room. There are critics, however, of the increasing use of iPads in medical settings. Rush University Medical Center's Tanu S. Pandey wrote in the Society of General Internal Medicine Forum that iPads can distract residents from talking to patients. “There are several observations that I have made during my day-to-day work that I would like to share. Residents seem to spend less time with patients and more time in front of their electronic devices. They often place orders based on the documentation from other provider’s notes before completing their history and examination. This can compromise medical care,” Pandey wrote.