There’s no denying that you’ve heard about it… The iPad is here, and we are proud to announce that we are the first medical practice in the country to have fully integrated this remarkable device into our day to day operations. As most of our patients have already experienced, we are a green practice with a completely paperless data system, solar powered computers, digital x-rays and lot’s of other cool technology. But there was always that final step of getting rid of what I call “the unavoidable pieces of paper”.
Whether it’s the magazines that our patients read during their short waiting room experience, or the consent forms they sign that give us permission to perform surgery, paper is a difficult item to remove from the day to day operations of a medical office.
4 iPads Ready for Action!
That’s why in anticipation of the iPad, we invested numerous hours preparing our data system for the full integration of this revolutionary tablet computer, the moment it was released. And on Monday morning, April 5th, 2010 it is!
Now when a new patient comes to the office, they are greeted with an iPad that they will use to complete their initial patient forms, their initial history and physical forms and all other registration documents. This happens thanks to some pretty nifty software written by my friends over at MacPractice in Nebraska. This further saves time since the information is automatically integrated into our database the moment the patient clicks the “done” button. Less time filling out papers means, more time with the doctor, another important reason that patients should expect their doctors to technologically advance their practices.
Lot's of apps for you to test and play with
Once you have filled out your documents however you don’t have to give up this svelte, futuristic tablet computer. You can hold on to it to browse the internet on our complimentary T1 WiFi or read the numerous magazines we have purchased for you to enjoy right on the iPad you are holding. Everything form Popular Science, Outdoor Magazine, Time Magazine and other periodicals as they are released. We even purchased programs that give you ideas on where to go for dinner, or which wines to choose from. If you need to catch up on news, we have BBC News, The New York Times, AP News, NPR News, and more. We’ve even purchased books that you can read, bookmark and come back to on your follow up visits.
We did this because we respect your time, and having free internet, access to your email or reading the news is something we think you should be able to do during those brief moments you wait for your appointment. If you’re worried about learning how to use one, don’t. You can go to this link and watch easy videos on the basic operation of an iPad: http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/
The iPad is also used throughout the back end of our operations. The device is used to collect and input data during surgery. The tablet is the perfect solution for our inventory management. Starting in May 2010, patients will be given an iPad to watch custom made Surgical Consent Videos designed, and created specifically for my practice, by myself. This will give you another dimension to understand in detail what procedure you are being consented for… and a well educated patient, is a successful-result patient. A copy of the video will be made available to you after surgery online so you can refer to it as you like before surgery.
This is the part I love… I even get to use one! Quality medicine is not just about the procedures we perform. It’s about the patient experience and the interaction between the patient and the doctor. Almost every doctor patient interaction is done from a distance with your doctor lecturing you while they interpret the x-rays for you. The iPad changes all this. Now you and your doctor can sit next to each other looking at your digital x-rays on the HD display of the iPad. This close, personal interaction is what develops the kind of patient doctor interaction that our current medical system needs more of.
In conclusion, it gives me great pleasure to add one more facet to the already exceptional experience you will have at our practice.
The 1st iPad Doc!
This post however wouldn’t be complete without a special thank you to the fantastic team of visionary and dedicated employees at the Apple Store in Sherman Oaks. Mark, Jeremy, Evan, Suzi, Adrian and Veen. These are the kind of people that invest in relationships with their clients, much like how we run our practice. Because of their hard work, and commitment to our operation, we can provide you with the cutting edge technology that Apple develops. Thank you team… you all deserve special recognition from your company for the excellence you bring to your store!
Dr. Ali Sadrieh
Sweet! If there’s any problem with the iPad, you can always dust off the Newton as a back-up.
Hows it working out? Can’t wait to check it out.
Fantastic! I’ll be sure to bring my ipad to my next appointment.
Well I guess you’ve partially answered the question I posed in a recent article, “In the Age of EMRs, is the iPad Living Up to the Hype?” (http://bit.ly/bAH0M7). Do you have it working nicely with your EMR? And how has patient interaction been? Have you had to do much hand-holding? Great post, thanks for sharing!