Forum
Computers
Ten reasons to use an
iPad in general practice
An iPad can be a very useful tool for GPs but beware, it is extremely
addictive, writes Brian O’Mahony
Sometimes a gadget comes along that changes the world.
The Apple iPad is such a thing. Apple describes it as a
‘magical device’. The iPad is one of those devices that from
the outside does not seem to have a defined use. “Why
would I need a tablet, I have a laptop for email and internet?” But when you use it for a while it expands to become
an integral part of your life activities. Here are 10 reasons
why a GP should consider purchasing an iPad. They come
with three health warnings: an iPad is extremely addictive,
your spouse/partner will want one and you’ll be competing
with the kids for access to it.
1. Separate work from personal: I am a great believer in
separating work life from home life. Your practice IT system
should be dedicated to supporting your practice software
management system and the online connections you need
to work safely and efficiently. You should not use your
practice computer to access personal email or the web. Get
an iPad and use this for your personal needs. If your practice
network has WiFi then you use it for internet access on the
iPad, otherwise you will need an iPad with 3G capability.
2. Access medical reference: If you open iTunes, go to the
App Store, select iPad apps and category Medical you will
get a list of over 2,704 iPad medical apps available. Top
sellers in terms of medical reference include: The British
National Formulary, Oxford Handbook of General Practice,
Five Minute Clinical Consult and the Oxford Handbook of
Emergency Medicine. Your medical references will be by
your side in the practice, on house calls and when working
the Out of Hours Coop shift.
3. Research medical databases: The web browser on the
iPad allows you to view most standard web pages without
difficulty. This means you can use your iPad to look up your
favourite medical databases, such as www.uptodate.com,
http://prodigy.clarity.co.uk or www.gpnotebook.co.uk.
4. Decision support: There are lots of apps to help you with
decision-making. Examples include: Diagnosaurus DDx for
differential diagnosis, IDdx for infectious disease queries
and Best Practice decision support from the BMJ Group.
5. Medical calculators: MediMath Medical Calculator puts
144 of the most important medical calculators and scoring
tools on your iPad. Includes peak flow, paediatric dosing
calculator, Glasgow coma scale and lots more.
6. Apps for Patients: Diabetes Buddy helps patients monitor
their blood sugar control. iBP Blood Pressure helps patients
track their home BP recordings. Baby Kick Counter tracks
and records kicks throughout the day or for set time
periods.
7. Therapy for patients: Apps for stress reduction, exercise
and improved sleep patterns may help your patients to a
better lifestyle. The iPad is an effective device for patients
who have difficulty communicating. Proloquo2Go provides
a solution for people who have difficulty speaking.
8. Skype: With a WiFi broadband connection you can use
Skype to make contact with colleagues, family or friends.
9. Photos and video: Video recording on the iPad is easy and
effective. I have heard of it being used to record trainee
consultations in GP training practices. No messing with
microphones or wires, just stand the iPad in a suitable
place and start recording video.
10. Games and puzzles: When you come back exhausted
from the surgery and you don’t want to talk to anyone for
half an hour, pick up your iPad and play a game or solve a
puzzle. Angry Birds, Sudoku, the choice is yours.
If 10 reasons are not enough then here are some more:
• You can watch movies and TV on Netflix and iTunes
• You can use it as an iPod for playing music via iTunes
• You can read ebooks from Amazon using the Kindle app
• The 3G version has GPS capability, so with Google Maps
or GPS software you can navigate from place to place
• With a camera connection kit you can use it to store your
photos when on the move
• Apple Keynote allows you to prepare presentations and
with an Apple VGA adapter cable you can connect to an
LCD projector and give the presentation
• Activate Apple iCloud on the device and all your data will
be backed up safely to iCloud.
A word of caution
Use your iPad only for personal computing. Don’t be
tempted to store any patient information or patient photos
or videos on the machine. If you do use it to capture patient
images or video then transfer these on to a practice computer and delete them from the iPad. You can secure the iPad
with a password and you should turn on the ‘Find my iPad’
function so that you can remotely wipe the data if your iPad
is lost or stolen. If you have small kids or nephews and
nieces and they are going to be playing with the iPad, then
get a sturdy case to protect it when it falls.
Brian O’Mahony is GPIT group project manager, ICGP
Note: I have no shares in Apple Inc and no commercial
interest in promoting the iPad. Please don’t blame me if
your relationship collapses because you are spending too
much time with your iPad!
FORUM August 2012 25
ComputersAHNHindd 1
31/07/2012 12:35:03