IT & TELECOMS
Keep taking the tablets
As the NHS becomes more technologically advanced, the use of tablet computers is increasing. National Health Executive asks mobile data expert Nick Hunn which direction this technological advance is taking the health service
T
he use of tablet computers is likely to increase in the health
service due to the convenience and operability they offer and as the prices of particular models falls. After all, in the world of IT, this year’s expensive must have is next year’s bargain buy.
This is compounded by the fact that more data is being generated and stored in a digital format which, whilst making it easier to access through the use of wireless computer technology, does necessitate having such technology in the work place.
As in the consumer market, manufacturers of tablet computers have swamped the market with various kinds of equipment which can make it difficult for those with the responsibility for procuring these items.
The suitability of tablet computers for use in clinical settings varies greatly, according tos Nick Hunn, director of the Mobile Data Association.
“The shiny, expensive ones with lots of applications are rather popular with doctors and consultants. I would put this mainly down to the ‘look how big and shiny the pen in my top pocket is’ syndrome. However, despite their good looks and status giving powers, the clinical applications on them are often little more than a branding exercise.
Nick Hunn Sep/Oct 10
“Tablet computers marketed at the nursing fraternity fare a little better with a few having some pretty well thought applications and facilities – usually it is the less shiny ones, which have the best applications. Despite this, nurses do report them being
heavy, cumbersome and in need of constant recharging. However, I feel that this is more a comment on the technology as it is today and not perhaps the equipment of tomorrow.
“Perhaps devices which are more suited to clinical use will be simpler and more focused on their clinical purpose. Therefore they would not perhaps need the complexity of graphics or speed which are commonplace on standard tablets but will have a battery life of a week or more with enough applications to effectively carry out clinical work without trying to be a status symbol.
“Some net books are already beginning to do this – keeping the design quite simple and just ensuring that it works properly. Substance over style, essentially.”
It is the simplicity of certain tablet computers – particularly the technology which is being used to display eBooks – which will end up being taken on by the health service.
“This may be the kind of technology which ends up getting used by manufacturers in the healthcare tablet market because it is robust, has a long battery life and offers a good working solution.
“One must remember that this technology is simply there to make life easier for the patient, the nurse or the doctor. It doesn’t matter what the brand is or even what it looks like – as long as is it works, it is efficient and people like it, then it is the right tool.”
That is not to say that new technological advances are not useful. There are a few trusts which are now taking advantage
of touch screen technology in their tablet computers to help with administrative issues such as patient management. But this is nothing new, according to Nick.
“I had a Taiwanese laptop, which had a swivel function to make it look like a tablet with touch screen functionality about ten years ago. The concept has just been refined and re-marketed. And there was the Apple Newton back in 1998.”
So how does Nick see tablets progressing in the future in the clinical setting?
“The tablet itself is just a tool. It needs the display to have the right contrast and resolution, a battery life of up to a week and be lightweight and robust, in case someone drops it or spills something on it. In a busy clinical environment it needs to be able to keep on working, no matter what happens to it, within reason. Other than that, it is just a screen with a wireless connection and I have difficulty getting excited about much more than that.
“Where the value comes is what the application is, what is running on it. This means that, whoever is using the tablet – whether it’s a hospital porter, a nurse or a doctor – the technology will allow the user to access the relevant information in a more timely way and enter information more accurately than they can now, with their current technology. If that is the case, then it is a very useful tool. If it doesn’t, then it is just a status symbol and nothing more.
“’Does it do the job?’ is the only question which needs to be asked.”
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