ÜberSciFiGeek

With its attractive screen and networking capabilities, the iPad offers surgeons real-time access to images and patient data during an operation. Integrating it into routine clinical practice can save lives and help bring down the cost of health care. Pioneering surgeons at Georgetown have already made it a key part of their practice with significant improvement in patient care.

from Journal of Surgical Radiology:

As featured in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Surgical Radiology, surgeons at Georgetown have transformed the iPad from an entertainment device into a multimedia platform from which they can access up to date patient data and radiographic images. By making the iPad as essential as a scalpel, they can have this information available at their fingertips during major surgical procedures.

With its attractive screen and networking capabilities, the iPad permits access to x-rays, CT scans, and laboratory data. Real-time access to this critical information makes the iPad “a powerful and flexible computing device [that] will almost certainly play some role in our future everyday practices,” says Dr. Felasfa Wodajo, an orthopedic surgeon at Georgetown University.

Integrating the iPad into a clinical setting virtually eliminates guesswork by busy doctors taking care of dozens of patients. Laboratory data and other key patient information are immediately accessible both on wards and in the operating room. Data can even be captured during surgery and appropriate photographs shared with the patient afterward.

Published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Surgical Radiology, Dr. Wodajo details how he has integrated the iPad into his clinical practice. A sample work flow and helpful pointers on high quality software are included. By decreasing the barriers to integrating technology with clinical care, the outcome can be improved patient safety, higher patient satisfaction, and decreased health care costs.

“The iPad clearly has the potential to be very useful in the hospital and in the operating theater,” says Dr. Wodajo. “The same features which make the iPad great for surfing the web, such as looking at images and viewing video, nicely translate into the operating room.”