Healthcare clamors for iPhone treatments
Summary: Healthcare providers see a new use for the iPhone--as a doctor's assistant. They predict that doctors would be more likely to use a cool iPhone during examinations than other disruptive tech gear.
Earlier this month Apple released its iPhone software development kit (SDK), which will allow third-party developers to create games, business software and other types of applications for the iPhone.
The analyst group Datamonitor predicts this move could lead to more doctors adopting healthcare applications such as electronic health records and clinical decision support systems.
Medics have been slow to adopt such technologies--which provide patient and medical data--because turning to a PC in the middle of an examination can disrupt the doctor-patient relationship. But the analyst said mobile devices such as the iPhone can help reduce these problems.
Datamonitor said the iPhone stands out from the rest because of its functionality and ease of use.
Christine Chang, Datamonitor healthcare technology analyst, said in a statement: "Healthcare providers don't want to carry around a beeper, hospital-issued phone, cell phone, BlackBerry and Tablet PC with them as they run through the corridors of a hospital. They want to carry around one device that can do everything."
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Talkback
not for me.
nothing new! similar devices have been around for 5 years!
Yet another piece of poorly researched "so called tech journalism".
Oh I wish people like this and people who write these dumb articles would do their research and realise touchscreen phone based PDA's have been around for years!
About 5 years in fact... go do some research on the original XDA!
HTC's / iMate's loss is Apple's Marketing gain I suppose
I'm starting to realise now why the technocrati refer to the iphone as the "Jesus phone".
Praise the Lard!
Derek Foley (UK) Pocket PC owner for 5 years :)
Been around longer than that
ago and he had apps on his Palm.
What we are seeing today with the iPhone
is excited developers (100,000 SDK
downloads in 4 days) looking for apps
they can develop, a platform that is
generating interest in many industries and
the desire for people in the medical field
to have sensitive information available at
all times. Throw in imaging (like Osirix),
which can be very dynamic, improvements
like 16 gigs of memory now and more to
come and the medical field is a natural fit.
I've been using...
switched to the iPhone. Even though I am eagerly waiting to see if
the SDK release will bring some much needed missing
functionality, I do love the platform.
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RE: Healthcare clamors for iPhone treatments
1) why would you carry a cell phone AND a Blackberry AND a pager. If nothing else the first two are mutually exclusive of each other.
2) most hospitals I've been in (I go to Kaiser Permanente one of the largest hospital groups in the country) and they strictly don't allow employees to have cell phones with them while working on duty, including doctors. Patients and visitors usually get away with it but it's a no-no for employees.
3) there are computer interfaces in almost all the exam rooms now so it's far from an "intrusion" people aren't scared cause there's a big bad computer display in the room or anything.
4) there's been portable devices all over the place for years that have done this type of thing. Personally I think if I saw my doctor looking at my records on an iPhone I'd walk out. I would much rather see him on a decent size display so he can see clearly and in detail what he's looking at. The iPhone display is great for what it is but not for daily work reading important (generally long) documents and images.
5) I think Ms. Chang should get 1) a clue 2) a job in a field analyzing something she actually knows about.
RE: Healthcare clamors for iPhone treatments
1. Epocrates app
2. A true pager functionality to the iPhone
3. RDC to view my EMR remotely
I use a Tablet PC with an EMR (Electronic Medical Record) and
do not see how the iPhone could ever replace it.
Howevrr, for when I'm on call, to have the iPhone function as my
pager, iPod, cellphone, and remote access to the office EMR is
truly helpful. Add in Epocrates and some other medical apps and
physicians will line up for this device. Frankly, the #1 feature for
me would be for my service to truly page me, rather than calling
me.
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Nigel Spicer
RE: Healthcare clamors for iPhone treatments
Not new, not improved, and at a cost