Article: Switching to the iPad

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As part of the antirecession stimulus bill, the federal government allocated $19 billion to subsidize the modernization of medical records. You've been considering making the switch to computer-based records for some time now, and the stimulus funds will certainly make that decision a little easier. But which system will you buy? You've visited a number of other practices and hospitals to see what they're using, and you've found a dizzying varietydesktops, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and smartphones, all running different software.

You've heard, though, that Apple's iPad might trump them all. Apple's tablet computer has an elegant design, an easy-to-use operating system, great battery life, and a sharp display. Already, insurance giant Kaiser Permanente, Harvard Medical Schools, and the prestigious Cedars-Sinai Hospital have conducted trial programs to test the iPad's functionality in medical facilities. Best of all, it's relatively cheap compared to other laptop computers, and it has a low learning curve, because most of the doctors in your practice already use the iPhone.

In addition to getting federal funding, then, the iPad can bring several first-mover advantages for your practice. Your medical records will be consolidated and more efficient than competitors, which will make your entire operation run more smoothly. Patients will have to spend less time waiting for you and your staff to retrieve their charts and review their history. And it never hurts to have a reputation for being a practice that uses cutting-edge technology.

But just as you're about to order iPads for everyone in the office, one of your colleagues has some warnings. Do you think that flimsy thing can handle the rigors of a medical setting, he asks? He doesn't think it would last more than a month in a pediatrician's office, much less a hectic emergency room. And what about security? What kind of features does it have that will protect patient confidentiality? And then, he drops this bomb on you: "You know, people who buy first-generation Apple products are suckers." He reminds you that the first iPhone sold for $600 but had a minimal number of applications. Just two months later, the price was cut to $400, and 10 months after that, Apple sold the iPhone 3G, with faster network access and thousands of more apps, for just $300. You could buy the iPad now, he says, but why not wait until Apple releases a cheaper, faster iPad with better features? And then, he reminds you that H-P, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have competing tablet computers and applications. What if those are even better for medical records and they become the industry standard? Do we want to be left behind?

Questions

1. Considering the various first-mover and second-mover advantages, would you switch to the iPad or wait?
2. How important is it that the medical records system you select for your practice reflects the industry standard?
3. Do the benefits of having a computerized medical records system outweigh the costs involved in setting that system up?