New healthcare applications are being developed everyday for the iPhone and Blackberry – from EMR-related apps to prenatal care to chronic disease management.   Online articles and discussions have focused on the new Apple iPad as well, and its usefulness among nurses and other healthcare professionals. 

Some technology pundits question whether the Apple iPad will truly be able to run Windows-based applications from long-time rival Microsoft.   Others wonder if the iPad will fully support web-based applications.   Some healthcare applications are Windows and web-based, so that’s a valid concern.  And there are those that are thinking about how the iPad will work in doctors’ and nurses’ hands in demanding healthcare environments. 

It is my belief that the Apple iPad will handle all three scenarios very well.  Here’s why:

• Will the iPad run Windows-based applications?  That’s one of the biggest objections.  In truth, the iPad is the killer ‘thin client’ device that runs anything, including Windows.   As a thin client, it can run Citrix virtualization software, for example, that enables the device to run any version of Windows so that existing off the shelf applications can be used.  Load the iPad with the Citrix app – it goes back to a server that pushes out Windows 7, Vista, etc. 

• Will the iPad fully support some web-based applications?   –  The short answer is that it will.  Apple’s Safari web browser handles advanced web standards and is leading the way on the newest web standards like (HTML 5/CSS 3) – which means that dedicated, secure healthcare applications need to leverage the best in class available standards, and clearly the iPad is going to be able to facilitate that.  Right now Apple devices don’t run Flash, for example, an application heavily used for gaming and other presentations.  But whether or not Flash will be widely used in healthcare facilities is debatable for now.  Most professional apps are all standards-based, so no immediate access to Flash isn’t a big concern for now.  As more patients begin to use online healthcare applications to communicate with their providers, the demand for using mobile devices will only grow among healthcare providers as well.

• Can the iPad withstand a rugged healthcare environment in which it might get dropped and has to withstand cleaning every day to ward off germs?   Healthcare environments are incredibly demanding and mobile, so devices need to be sturdy and tether-free.   Hospital devices are carried around, occasionally dropped, and healthcare facilities have strict antibacterial and cleaning requirements for all devices.  Devices also need to be intuitive and not impede doctors’ and nurses’ natural workflow and processes.  The iPad is wireless, it can be recharged quickly, cleaned easily, and protected properly like any other mobile device, the iPad can withstand the rigors of the frenetic healthcare environment.  And, if someone is exceptionally rough on it or the device is broken, the good news is that it can be easily replaced within days and the new one can be put back into service without missing a beat.  

Mobile devices like iPhones and Blackberries are becoming ubiquitous and more workers will start to demand the freedom and usability these devices offer.    And with so many people already using smart phones and other mobile devices, the training curve will be low to boot. 

I think this is a situation where some people are focused on what the iPad might not be, rather than all that it is.   Healthcare professionals have long dreamed for a rugged, thin client, inexpensive and easy to maintain system that keeps them in touch with patients and healthcare operations.  The dream is now a reality with devices like the iPad.  I believe it’s a matter of another year or so before the iPad reaches widespread use in healthcare environments.