iPad in practice: Applying the apps
 | |
| Rodrigo Ayala, RT (R) (CT), imaging technologist in the Imaging Data Evaluation and Analytics Lab at Weill Cornell Medical College, views an abdominal CT on an iPad. |
One far-reaching application came from a report of a Japanese surgeon using the iPad to plan surgery, according to the column's author, Felasfa M. Woodajo, MD, of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Va. "Thus far, the most obvious use for me has been as a convenient way to easily access previous patient imaging," wrote Woodajo.
Woodajo confirmed that the iPad can fit comfortably in an x-ray cassette sterile bag, making for safe use in the operating room (OR). Woodajo also reported that the iPad worked "quite well through the plastic bag, even while wearing gloves." In addition to the feasibility of bringing patient images into the OR, he reports relative ease in transferring CT and MR images from CDs to the device.
"I also use the Apple iPad camera adapter to quickly transfer intraoperative photos to my iPad [in the OR]. For the curious family member, these photos can really enliven the post-op waiting room conversation!" explained Woodajo.
Woodajo's column also pointed to the experience of Henry Feldman, MD, who used the iPad as his primary computer for a week as an attending physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston. According to Feldman, network access was a "nearly seamless experience." Feldman described catching up on tech news while in the elevator, downloading new pages at different levels as the elevator doors opened and closed.
As enthusiasm and ideas meld, considering the limitations remains important. Woodajo found that sometimes contact from the sterile bag would register as a touch on the iPad, while noting that logistical issues like typing full reports on the soft keyboard remain pertinent. And even though security concerns may be less major than many might think, since images are not stored on the iPad and can be set for automatic erasure, a paucity of applications and trials make comple clinical use of the iPad in the near future implausible.
Nevertheless, with mobile access to patient images and an enhanced ability to train residents at the point-of-care, Woodajo substantiated his claim that the "iPad clearly has the potential to be very useful in the hospital and in the operating theater," while commenting that "portable image repository of my patients that has [already] been very useful in the operating room, office, and in casual hallway discussions with colleagues."