Getting doctors to use information technology has, for many years, been about as enjoyable as getting kids to eat their vegetables.
Until the recent emergence of the smart phone as the technology of choice, that is. iPhones, BlackBerrys, Treos and other handheld devices that provide phone, wireless Internet access and robust applications seem to have caught many a doctor’s fancy. Consider the following:
· Taking the Pulse v9.0, a study conducted by Manhattan Research, New York City, found that 64% of physicians now are using smart phones. According to the research, the most widely used applications are drug and clinical references and other clinical tools such as dosage calculators. (http://www.manhattanresearch.com/newsroom/Press_Releases/more-docs-using-smartphones.aspx)
· A recent article in American Medical News suggests that physician’s use of smart phones could have a ripple effect – and lead to even greater adoption of healthcare information technology. (http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/05/25/bil20525.htm)
· An article in The Washington Post illustrates how doctors are using smart phones and medical applications in all kinds of creative ways. ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051802234.html)
· The medical category in Apple’s iPhone App Store became the third fastest growing category of applications for the first quarter of 2009, according to the O’Reilly Radar, an online newsletter providing insight into emerging technologies.
So, just why are doctors embracing these smart phones with such unprecedented enthusiasm? According to Jeff Goldsmith, president of Health Futures, Charlottesville, Va., it boils down to one thing: The fun factor.
And, that’s one principal that should drive all future mobile information technology development in the industry, he says.
“The health care industry ought to be looking at why the Apple iPhone is so popular. It’s because it is fun to use and that’s why people like it so much. Technology companies should be looking to develop innovative systems that are actually fun for doctors to use. Then, the whole concept of physicians resistance will start to dissipate,” Goldsmith notes.
Even though there could be reasons why physicians are using smart phones, the idea that people will flock to anything that infuses just a bit of fun into the daily grind seems to make more and more sense the more you think about it.
John McCormack participates in HealthcareGoesMobile.com as a community correspondent through Intel’s paid sponsorship with Health Data Management.
