iPads already popular with physicians: 20% plan to purchase, 60% considering

Seth Weintraub
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February 04, 2010
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We're sensing that Apple might just have a hit on its hands with the iPad, at least in the medical field.  Epocrates, the medical software company did a survey of more than 350 clinicians to gauge their interest in the new tablet.  They found that:

  • Nine percent of survey respondents plan to buy the iPad when it was immediately available,
  • Another 13 percent plan to buy it within the year,
  • Thirty-eight percent of respondents expressed interest in the iPad with the request of more information to solidify their purchase decision

That means that almost 60% of doctors are considering the iPad for their work, with a third of those ready to buy.   Not too bad for a product that hits the streets in seven weeks.

Comments (17)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 2:58pm

Walt Mosspuppet's brother is a doctor??

lexequinerad (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 3:17pm

When the encryption and security issues, with the hybrid 3.2 OS are resolved, and the iPAD becomes DICOM and HIPPA compliant, radiology groups, medical groups, specialists, and hospital administrators, would all be more than willing to use iPADs in their practices. As a radiologist, the XGA, 1024p X 768p resolution is sufficient, for most image applications, for review and preliminary readings. However, without knowing the bit-depth and contrast ratio of the display, it probably would not suffice, for definitive interpretations needed for detailed anatomy on very high-rez diagnostic displays. However, for primary care physicians, internists, and specialists, the iPad, would be ideal for medical rounds, and the patient "electronic record." I can just imagine, the great acceptance for medical students, interns, and residents, using their iPad's on rounds, and digitally having the patients electronic medical record, with history, physical, lab results, and imaging studies, all at their fingertips. Just some of my thoughts...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 4:24pm

Honest question: What makes this device not DICOM/HIPPA compliant? It's probably more secure than a PC.

#1: Not easily hackable, and definitely not without physical access.
#2: Encrypted device backups.
#3: Cisco/RSA compliant securable VPN connections for high level security access when not connect via WiFi
#4: Enterprise level WiFi support
#5: Password lockable display, including numbers and letters when tied to an Exchange server (group policy restriction support.)

Furthermore, hospitals could even hire their own programmers to develop and deploy programs for internal use only, just like the iPhone. I'd be curious what more you think you'd need to be HIPPA compliant, if this isn't already. Certainly, it doesn't need a HIPPA stamp of approval. It just needs to meet certain security requirements.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 3:47pm

@lexequinerad:

Let's hope your consulting with Apple and not just jerking off with that expensive, big brain of yours. Pompous ass.

lexequinerad (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 4:24pm

Your use of profanity does not serve any constructive purpose. It may be time for you to stop "wearing that old suit."

lexequinerad (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 4:24pm

Your use of profanity does not serve any constructive purpose. It may be time for you to stop "wearing that old suit."

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 4:38pm

"That means that almost 60% of doctors are considering the iPad for their work" = nonsense

Uhm thats a gross misinterpretation of statistics, It's 60% of Epocrates already existing customers are considering it NOT 60% of all doctors, no surprise if they have already bought into the iphone. Thats nothing like the same thing as 60% of all doctors :-P

Someone should find the statistics for how many statistics are misleadingly interpreted

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 6:14pm

Where's the "gross misinterpretation"? Have you looked at the survey methodology? How do YOU know "it's 60% of Epocrates already existing customers are considering it NOT 60% of all doctors".

People are so quick to shoot off their mouths.

osirix (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 6:24pm

Iphone already has OsiriX that puts a small DICOM workstation in your pocket. This app was featured in one of Apple’s App Store commercials and allows you to view radiology images on your phone, and hundreds of medical helper apps.

Lurkerific (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 8:04pm

I for one am a pediatrician and am looking forward to the purchase. If I can have citrix running on it I can have a whole suite of medical applications for close and portable use in the office and hospital safe and securely. The tablets we use now are hopeless.I don't need to run a host of applications, just a couple well and I like what I see.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 04, 2010 - 10:25pm

I'm amazed that no one has noticed that a couple of days before the iPad announcement (a coincidence? I don't think so), Epic (one of the largest electronic health record companies) released 'Haiku', an iPhone app for accessing their EHR on the run. Epic is a big player in this space - health systems using Epic EHR include Kaiser, many regional hospital consortia, many of the University of California med centers, Universities of Pittsburgh, Texas, Oregon to name a few). I would bet their app is already coded to take advantage of the larger screen of the iPad and will be ready to go soon after the device starts shipping. Hospitals need to upgrade to the Summer 2009 release of Epic to be able to use the iPhone & presumably the iPad apps, but most will do so; my hospital will upgrade to that version later this year, and I can't wait.

Topcon systems showed a gorgeous app at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting for accessing their EyeRoute system for storing clinical images. Radiology PACS vendors are also showing apps for accessing images on the run.

Security? All the data resides on the server and the devices can be remote-wiped if they're lost or stolen.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 06, 2010 - 12:43am

nonsense!all epocrates owners have ipod touches,so the study is biased, yes osirix released ipod touch app,but it would help in seeing only 1 or max 2 images, imagine our workstation with 8gb ram just does the job with native osirix running in it. Then i think most of the docs just buy it, because they can. and you ask me why, yes am in radiology.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 07, 2010 - 6:24am

100% of Apple fanboi predictions are subjective, invalid, hyper-exaggerated bullshit.

Notsean (not verified) | February 07, 2010 - 11:17am

Wow, this emotes hostility? Chill.

I agree, it is not 60% of all doctors. Though not all Dr.s surveyed are epocrates users. And not all epocrates users use an iphone/itouch app to access it.

Epocrates has a whole medical survey arm, that they send through emails to registered physicians. I would guess most of those in that survey mailing list ARE Epocrates users. Though Epocrates comes in many forms, not just the iphone/itouch version.

I personally have used it for years. I now only use it online through the regular (or mobile) web. Not with a phone or pda app. I used to use it on my old palm pilot. Now it is not (yet) available for my Android device.

They are also payed surveys, to make it worth a physicians valuable time. So you can also make up what you want about biases there. Are docs who do surveys for money cheaper/poorer-so less likely in general to fork out money for expensive equipment?

Ian (not verified) | February 10, 2010 - 2:29pm

Yes. It's inflated hype. Yes. It is interesting. Yes. It helps amplify the wave. No. It is not exactly scientific or even accurate. Use it for whatever purpose it works for. Yes. It generates some interesting comments.

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