Will the iTablet be used in the healthcare industry?

iTablet

The Apple iTablet has been a rumour for many years, yet these rumours reached fever-pitch before Christmas when it was believed that Apple could get the product out for the holiday season... however this didn't happen. It is now rumoured that the iTablet will be unveiled next month, but what does the iTablet have to do with the healthcare industry? The answer - healthcare could be the biggest market for Apple's product.

It's believed that the iTablet could be of huge benefit, especially for the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) in hospitals. EMRs have been slower spreading across America than it was thought they would be, due to the difficulty in using them. Too many physicians are concerned about being able to efficiently use an EMR at the point of care. Apple, meanwhile, continues to raise the bar on usability and efficiency. If Apple releases a tablet which has the usability of the iPhone, it's thought that it would be a huge success with physicians, as it would be easy for them to use. meaning they can update EMRs on the go.

Physicians have struggled with the amount of time they have to spend on EMRs - in fact, it was found that some physicians spend nearly five hours of every 10 hours sat in front of a computer screen.

Features of the iTablet:

• 10 to 11 inch screen (making it closer in size to Apple's line of MacBook laptops than its smart phone.)
• Internet connectivity
• The ability to run iPhone apps
•  Book-reading abilities

Ever-changing industry

In fact, the healthcare industry is an ever-changing industry, it has to be at the forefront of new technology, which is why it would make it perfect for the industry to use the iTablet.

Software Advice stated back in April 2009 that if the iTablet features a touch-screen display like the iPhone, using the EMR during an encounter would be simplified. For example, selecting an evaluation and management (E&M) code could be as easy as "dialing in" the code with a swipe of a finger.

Using iPhone speech recognition technology, physicians could dictate directly into an EMR to create notes, draft narrative reports or generate custom patient instructions. Mac design programs could be re-purposed to make a really slick tablet drawing tool for anatomical diagrams that illustrate procedures and diagnoses.

Apple

Not only would the iTablet benefit the healthcare industry hugely, it would also allow Apple to become a leader in healthcare - a hugely important field, to add to their many other verticals, including publishing, digital media and education. With the inevitability of more health related apps being developed for theiTablet, increasing efficiency and data portability - the healthcare industry could really benefit from these innovations.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the tablet has been the biggest focus for Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs since he returned to work in June after taking a nearly six-month medical leave to undergo a liver transplant.

With the new device, Apple wants to change the way consumers interact with a variety of content. It's set to be priced at $1000.

In February last year President Obama designated money, in a stimulus programme, to expand the use of electronic medical records. Under the stimulus program, hospitals and physicians can claim millions of dollars for IT purchases, and will be penalized if they do not go digital by 2015. Obama has said the changes will save billions and will minimize medication errors. Maybe this is a sign that Apple should get in contact and offer their services to the American healthcare industry.

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