Study: Initial expectations of iPad use fell short of reality

While residents favor the use of tablets such as iPads in hospitals, high initial expectations show the danger of implementing new technologies, according to a Journal of Medical Internal Research study published on May 8.

The study, “Expectations of iPad use in an internal medicine residency program: Is it worth the ‘hype’?”, compared 115 University of Chicago Medical Center residents’ initial expectations of Apple iPad use with perceptions four months after deployment.

Researcher Nancy Luo, MD, department of medicine at the University of Chicago, and colleagues conducted a pre-deployment survey that gauged enthusiasm for the tablet. Of those surveyed, 79 percent reported excitement for the iPad. However, “four months after iPad deployment, actual use of the device for certain tasks fell short of these initial high expectations,” according to the study.

The study also found that those residents that expressed the greatest expectations for the iPad were more likely to use the iPad to enter orders, and those that already used Apple products prior to deployment reported higher usage.

Luo and her team also noted the importance of identifying which tasks are inherently easier to complete on a tablet compared to a desktop computer and which tasks are more difficult. “Highlighting the simpler tasks will increase overall use, while efforts should be undertaken with developers to simplify the more difficult tasks,” the researchers wrote.

To avoid a surge of disappointment when a new technology does not meet initial expectations, Lou and her team said, "careful management of these expectations while promoting champions of use will be necessary to create an environment of successful adoption for mobile technology in the hospital setting.”

For more about iPads, please read "Radiology? There's an App for that--The iPad & Imaging," in the May/June issue of Health Imaging.