Commentary

How tablet PCs are changing medicine

By David Mosher

It seems the technology on everyone’s minds these days is tablet PCs, and with good reason. They offer physicians the potential to transform the way they interact with patients and access medical records and images, fundamentally changing traditional notions of patient care. But how do you know if tablet PCs are right for your healthcare practice?

First and foremost, it’s clear that we are undergoing a fundamental shift in the way physicians deliver patient care around the world, in both clinics and hospitals alike. Electronic medical records (EMR) and the computerized physicians order entry (CPOE) system are making it possible to deliver faster and more accurate medical information, while at the same time streamlining processes to expedite patient care. Tablet PCs fit in as an important part of the technology hardware infrastructure.

They offer one tool to take you from desk to diagnosis, allowing for both efficiency and mobility as physicians can combine traditional workflow management with digital technology. Tablet PCs are lightweight; for instance, the HP Slate 500 starts at 0.68 kg, with dimensions of 23.40 cm x 1.47 cm x 15.00 cm, making it easy to carry around. And with tablet PCs, staff can access hospital systems quickly. They can complete charting during patient visits while still maintaining a personal connection with the patient and eliminating the need to enter information into the EHR later. Medical instructions can be wirelessly sent for printing and handed to the patient at the end of the appointment.

Tablet PCs allow for better interaction with the patient during a consultation. You can use a picture or sketch when communicating treatment plans or injury descriptions, and you’ll notice that patients internalize and retain information better through interactive tools. It’s simple to add handwritten notes, sketches, and images on a device with digital pen and handwriting capability.

Equally important for patient interaction and care, you can share X-rays, other types of images, and results with your patients in the examination room. Multitouch gestures, finger taps and swipes across the screen allow easy and efficient navigation through applications and menus, to compare x-ray images and look up pertinent medical information. Images of procedures can be shared with and saved into the patient’s medical record.

You can also generate accurate prescriptions for fast fulfillment. Use the tablet device at point of care to review medication lists, select prescriptions, accurately prepare scripts and perform medication reconciliation. All of these tasks can be sent wirelessly to the front office for the patient or directly to the pharmacy for fast fulfillment.

As a physician, your workday may begin in your office, answering emails and planning your day, but you shouldn't spend more time trying to figure out your computers than you do practicing medicine. Having the right device is the best first step but when you are considering your tablet options, look also for the healthcare software applications you need. With some devices, such as the HP Slate 500 for instance, you can use any existing medical applications that run in a Windows environment or you can port any legacy applications you wish, making it easy and convenient to integrate the tablet into your practice. And new applications are being developed for tablet PCs all the time so be sure to work with your technology provider to ensure you have the ones that are right for you.

Many of our healthcare customers have told us that their goal is to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Tablet devices play a crucial role in that, allowing the physician to enter information into the patient’s EMR, or to access it in order to make an informed medical decision. “Traditionally, as patients are talking with the surgeon, the doctor is scribbling away and loses eye contact,” says one physician. “With my tablet PC, I’m checking off some boxes and writing a few words here and there using my stylus pen.” This means the doctor is able to be far more responsive to the patient, ultimately improving patient care.

David Mosher is Healthcare Business Manager at HP Canada.

Posted May 26, 2011