Will the iPad replace the physician’s clipboard in the near future? Hospitals across the country, including Munson Medical Center and Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, are piloting the Apple tablet to see how useful it can be.

Last spring, Munson purchased a few iPads to see if it was possible to connect the device to its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system through the server, according to Bart Willingham of Munson Information Systems (IS).

Once that was determined, several physicians (two in Cadillac and the rest at MMC) were asked to try out the iPads in June, both in and out of the hospital. Some doctors purchased their own iPad immediately.


“The early feedback is the iPad is a great tool to use when not at the hospital, as it’s a relatively small device that allows doctors to connect to PowerChart (Munson’s EMR system) wherever there’s a wireless connection,” Willingham says. “The consensus seems to be that with a PC readily available to them at the hospital, it’s just easier to use a PC.”

Where it does seem to shine is as a tool for doctors on call.

“It can be kept at the physician’s bedside, allowing him to review a patient’s chart quickly and easily in the middle of the night,” Willingham notes, adding its portability allows doctors to show patients images and lab results at bedside.

The iPad’s usefulness in the healthcare industry has been the subject of debate since its rollout. Doctors can use the device to test, teach, calm and entertain patients, but if it doesn’t fit into a pocket, are they willing to carry it around all day and risk misplacing it?

Medical apps that interact with EMR systems is where the iPad holds the most promise, and future widespread adoption depends heavily on med students seeing it as an indispensable tool as they train. Some medical schools, like Stanford and the U of C-Irvine, are even giving free iPads to incoming students.

Abbigale Wilson, 28, a new resident family practice physician at Munson, uses her iPad during rounds at the Family Practice clinic.

“With fast access to Munson’s EMR system, I’m able to quickly place orders and follow up on a patient’s condition wherever I am; I don’t need to find a free computer terminal or wait for the system to load.”

Her iPad is loaded with medical apps, including “a few favorites that I use daily for reference and a few others that assist me when dealing with extremely rare conditions.”

If Munson’s technology committee determines the iPad should be a standard device, Willingham expects more will be purchased.

Two to three years ago, there were no Apple products at Munson, nor support for Mac users wanting to connect to the hospital’s applications. But with more and more staffers picking Apple, technical support was enhanced. The iPhone is now the Munson-supplied smart phone of choice, marking the move away from PDA-based Palm devices.

NMRH, one of the nation’s “Most Wired” healthcare organizations for the second year in a row, is also testing the iPad – along with other devices – to find the best fit.