Tablet computers in support of rural and frontier clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Rural Health Technology
• Medical Practice Innovation

Background:

• Rural healthcare systems face resource limitations and increasing demands for efficiency and quality.
• Implementing health information systems is crucial but challenging in resource-scarce rural environments.
• Tablets offer a potential solution for enhancing healthcare delivery in underserved areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the value of iPad tablets for primary care physicians in rural Nevada.
• To assess the impact of iPads on health services delivery in limited-resource settings.
• To identify potential benefits and limitations of tablet technology in rural medical practices.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was employed with five rural Nevada physicians.
• Physicians received iPads and funding for medical applications.
• Data collection involved a year of use, online surveys, and semi-structured interviews.

Main Results:

• Physician use and perceived value of iPads were mixed but generally positive.
• iPads were primarily used for accessing online medical references (e.g., Epocrates, UpToDate).
• Physicians noted limitations in available applications, especially for patient-facing content.

Conclusions:

• iPads can bridge the gap between smartphones and desktops for physicians.
• Enhanced medical applications, particularly those with graphical/video content, are needed.
• Offline app functionality and EHR integration are key for improving iPad utility in rural settings.