When the Marietta OB/GYN Clinic switched to an EMR system, they shopped around for the perfect device for all the staff members.They finally settled on the Panasonic Toughbook. Dr. Vonda Klein indicates the lightweight and long battery life (8hrs) of the Toughbook, figured prominently in their decision to purchase it.According to Dr. Klein “Transitioning to EMR was difficult for our practice in the beginning. Although we still have some struggles with EMR, the Toughbook is the best decision we made with the entire process."“The tough book has streamlined data entry for the clinic. It allows quick, real time, entry of detailed patient information while allowing us to move from room to room throughout the day.”She notes that “We will need a fingerprint scanner to start to prescribe narcotics electronically, which should be available to us in the very near future through escripts, which is Digichart's electronic prescription provider” and she doesn’t think that it will be any problem to get that added on to the Toughbook.
Blackberry
This little pocket sized device is a perennial favorite with physicians. It is small and compact which suites Dr. Marc Tenzer just fine.Dr. Tenzer runs the Blackberry Bold on the Verizon network. Even though he is a long time Blackberry user, he does admit to a bit of iPhone envy.He knows that eventually he may have to convert to the iPhone because “our hospital’s new EMR system will only have an iPhone app available for remote access.”Until then he is perfectly happy running the Epocrates interface on his Blackberry. While he finds the Epocrates interface on the Blackberry somewhat lacking that “is due to deficiencies in the Blackberry browser and not in Epocrates. “While he is constantly referring to Epocrates, using it to identify medications, check for drug interactions and verify medication dosages, he also uses the Blackberry for email. For emailing, he finds the keyboard easier to type with then a screen keyboard.He remains hopeful that the RIM upgrades to OS 6.0 will result in a better interface between Blackberry and Epocrates.“I can’t imagine practicing without having such a robust reference as close as my Blackberry. It has become an indispensable tool for me.” Throughout the course of the day, he access Epocrates and browse sites such as AP news, CNN, NY Times, Weatherbug and Google Search.
iPad
While new to the market, the iPad is winning over fans in the medical community.It is very lightweight and portable according to Dr. Linda Lambert. While she does note that the keyboard takes some getting used to the overall ease of use far outweighs the learning curve for the keyboard.Performance is key for Dr. Lambert. Not only does she use the iPad to view lab information but also she has it loaded with several medical apps including icd9 codes, an eye chart, a bmi calculator, a medical calculator, and an a1c calculator.The iPad easily handles all these applications with room to run more.
Dr. Gregory Buford recently purchased the iPad and uses “extensively during patient consultations“. He loves the app that converts his PowerPoint presentations format compatible with the device and he can modify the presentations.After that, he can “describe procedures and outcomes directly to my patients. The feedback so far has been remarkable and the patients enjoy being able to visually see what it is that I actually do.”The only thing that Dr. Buford does not like about the iPad is lack of webcam/microphone. He travels extensively and would like to use the iPad to make Skype calls.
iPhone
Apple’s iPhone provides physicians with a lot of power in a small package. One of the key factors in Dr. Reid Conant’s decision to purchase the iPhone 3GS was the large number of apps available for it.Along with the variety of well-developed apps available, Dr. Conant, likes the iPhone because it has an intuitive interface and excellent graphical interface.During the course of the day, Dr. Conant runs Dragon Medical Search, Five Minute Clinical Consult, and Epocrates.The only thing that Dr. Conant dislikes about the iPhone is the amount of dropped calls. According to Dr. Conant, he experiences “multiple call drops per day.”Regardless of brand, handheld devices give physicians access to critical information with the mere touch of a button.
