Tablet Use On The Rise Among Doctors

Technology is taking the healthcare industry by storm. And just as consumers are increasingly turning to tablets for email, apps and content consumption, more doctors are also incorporating tablets and mobile apps into their practices. According to the “Taking the Pulse” study conducted by Manhattan Research, doctors have nearly doubled their use of tablets in the past year.

The annual study seeks to understand how physicians use the Internet and other forms of technology in the workplace, providing statistical benchmarks that are indicative of larger trends. And as more doctors incorporate technology to aid in patient care, tablet use will likely continue to rise.

One statistic we found particularly interesting? All tablets are not created equal in the eyes of physicians. Eighty-one percent of doctors who use a tablet for professional practice prefer Apple’s iPad over other competitors.

Tablets aren’t only conveniently portable—they’re powerful, too, and allow physicians to accomplish a number of tasks like researching symptoms, reading medical news, accessing drug reference databases, and even prescribing certain medication. With newly developed apps that enable patients to access personal health records and lab results electronically, doctors can now access this information with ease, which is far more than convenient—it can help improve the quality of patient care.

This infusion of technology has already made a big impact in the efficiency of healthcare providers and it’s only going to get better from here. We’ll likely see the integration of tablets into almost the entire physician market—the transition into using this and other forms of technology, as well as providing adequate training for workers, is expected to be a slow one. The use of technology in hospitals may also be hindered by the threat of data security.

Currently, the majority of content accessed by physicians is low-risk—online videos to stay up-to-date on clinical practices and viewing medical sites like WebMD, for example. As this type of technology become more prevalent, access to higher-risk content such as patient records will become more common.

How do you feel about doctors using tablets in the workplace? And as your healthcare provider started using a tablet?

Image via AppleEffect.com