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The iPad and Its Effect on Healthcare
The tablet computer, specifically the Apple iPad, is beginning to redefine the healthcare industry. From its sleek design to its versatility, the iPad is swiftly being adopted as a primary tool for physicians and healthcare professionals, and as mobile healthcare becomes more important, this trend will only continue. Patient interactions, for one, will be changed; doctors will be able to use more interactive graphics to inform their patients, and understanding will surely increase.
Patient interaction is only one way in which the post-PC era is altering the healthcare industry. iPad's are being used by residents to document research while surgeons are using them as reference tools during surgeries and much more. Daily use of tablet technologies can include updating medical records, bedside charting and administering various therapies and patient teaching.
However, given the portability of the iPad along with other "smart" technologies, a little trepidation is natural regarding patient privacy. Having access to patient records remotely via tablets would be a great benefit, as long as that information can be secured and kept private. Once the question of patient privacy is confidently resolved, use of the tablet technology in healthcare will expand exponentially.
The potential uses of tablet computers are important to consider during the design process of a new facility as well. As this physician from Holland Hospital points out, when deciding on features of the patient rooms, and even discussing a potential electronic medical records system, the compatibility of tablets with the other design options played a large role in their decisions.
It is obvious that having information at a moment's notice has significant advantages. We're still learning about the positive impact of these new technologies on patient centered care, including patient interactions and therapies, and the outcomes look promising. Although it is not possible for the iPad and other tablets to cure all that ails us, they definitely are advancing healthcare. |
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What is a PEP and how could I use it?
You may be hearing more frequent questions about LEED or LEED for Healthcare and how a specific product will help a project achieve LEED certification. You may need to find the recycled and recyclable content in a product. The product environmental profile (PEP) is a document developed to answer these product specific sustainability questions as they relate to various LEED credits. Since the USGBC and its certification partner, GBCI, evaluate each project individually, the role our products play in achieving LEED certification will be unique to each project and the credits they are seeking. The PEP will help you identify the ways a specific product will contribute. Click here to find product PEP's and environmental certifications (Nurture products are found alphabetically under "N"). Each PEP document is available on the specific product pages on Nurture.com as well.
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