Chicago-area hospitals appear to be "getting it" when it comes to the iPad, as my colleague Neil Versel might say. Several facilities are quickly hopping on board the bandwagon, according to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, with the realization that Apple's newest toy, in a nutshell, makes life easier.
Take, for instance, physicians at MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island: Once they realized they had access to electronic medical records via the iPad, the doctors embraced the tool with open arms. Now, "at least half of our staff here in the emergency room has their own iPad and carries it and uses it," ER physician Dr. Richard Watson told the newspaper.
At the University of Chicago Medical Center, plans are already underway to expand a pilot program that fits all internal residents with iPads. Orthopedic residents at Loyola University Medical Center also all have iPads via a pilot program.
Aside from providing a convenience for doctors--like MetroSouth ER chief Eric Nussbaum, who uses his iPad to order lab tests and jot down notes about patients--the device also helps providers explain ailments and injuries to their patients.
"The touch screen is intuitive and gives a hands-on experience for patients as they navigate through the pictures," said Dr. Julie Parker, a plastic surgeon at the University of Chicago who uses her iPad to give breast-cancer patients a glance at their potential post-surgery future.
For more information:
- read this Chicago Sun-Times piece