Tablet
PCs and Electronic Medical Records
Published: November 23rd, 2005
By: John Deutsch, EMR Experts
Which is the best Tablet
PC for physicians? What is the difference between
slate-style and convertible-style Tablet
PC's? How long is the battery life? What type of
CPU is best? Will using a tablet improve my quality
of care?
Tablet PC's are the
hottest technology in the world of Electronic
Medical Records and truly deliver on their promise
to provide physicians with an electronic solution for
their patient charts. Here are some answers to some
of the most common questions regarding Tablet
PC's.
Which is better: Slate or Convertible style
Tablet PC's?
Tablet PC's come in
2 styles, the slate-style and the convertible-style.
The primary difference is that the convertible-style
comes equipped with a built-in keyboard while the slate
style does not. Using a slate-style Tablet PC requires
the user to use the stylus/digitizer pen as the primary
user interface. If a keyboard is needed the Tablet
PC must be connected to a docking station connected
to a keyboard. While the convertible still has full
Tablet PC capabilities
like hand-writing recognition, speech recognition and
mobility, convertible-style Tablet
PC's tend to be thicker and heavier as their keyboard
is simply unnecessary weight when being used in Tablet
PC mode; this weight difference is usually about
1-2 pounds. In most cases the slate-style Tablet
PC is a better choice as it is lighter (usually
3.5 lbs), easier to carry and offers more advanced features.
However if you think you will be using the Tablet
PC out of the office, or need to frequently use
a keyboard the convertible is a more robust option.
How do Tablet PC's connect to my network?
Almost all Tablet PC's
these days come equipped with built-in wireless networking.
In order for a Tablet PC
to send or receive data from your Electronic
Medical Record Software in real time you must be
connected to a wireless network. In order to do this
you will need a Wireless Access Point which will enable
you to connect the Tablet
PC(s) wirelessly to your wired network. A high quality
Wireless Access Point should be purchased as its proper
functioning will be a major determining factor in how
well your network performs. Business-quality access
points from Cisco, 3COM, NetGear, D-Link are all good
options and generally cost between $150-$400.
What type of CPU is best for Tablet PC’s?
Tablet PC's come equipped
with two types of CPUs, the Intel Celeron and the Intel
Centrino w/ Pentium M technology. While the Celeron
is significantly less expensive, it lacks some of the
important features that come with the Centrino including
integrated wireless, faster performance, improved stability
and advanced power-saving controls. The wireless chipset
included with the Centrino platform are generally high-quality
wireless cards that function in both 802.11b and 802.11g
environments. In a physician office setting, heavy use
of the wireless is expected so picking a Tablet PC with
good wireless capabilities is very important.
How long is the battery life on a Tablet PC?
Battery life ranges from 2 hours to 6 hours depending
on the model. While many of the Tablet
PC manufacturers claim to have higher battery life
they often do not take into account how the Tablet
PC is being used. For example, the built-in wireless
networking can suck up a lot of battery life as do large
applications such as Electronic
Medical Records Software. Even under these circumstances
almost all Tablet PCs have a minimum battery life of
2 hours and some of the Tablet
PC's by Motion, HP, Fujitsu and Electrovaya can
achieve consistent battery life of over 3.5 hours under
heavy use.
How can Tablet PCs help physicians deliver
better patient care?
Tablet PC's provide
physicians with an endless amount of information right
at their finger tips. This translates into better patient
care because the physician can access a more thorough
patient record, access patient education databases,
access medication databases to aid in prescription of
medications, document at the point of encounter and
send prescriptions/lab requests electronically using
a more secure, less error prone method of transmission.
Which Tablet PCs are best for use in physician
offices?
While there is no clear choice when it comes to purchasing
a Tablet PC there are
3 models that have become very popular among physicians
and are generally good choices. The new Motion LE1600
Tablet PC by Motion Computing and Fujitsu ST5000 Tablet
PC by Fujitsu are arguably the best Slate-Style
Tablet PC's on the
market; both range between $2000-$2500. The Toshiba
Portege is a great option as a convertible Tablet
PC. The new Acer C200 and IBM Thinkpad Tablet
PC's are also great convertible-style options.
For more information visit the websites of these Tablet
PC manufacturers and Tablet
PC information resources:
http://www.motioncomputing.com
http://www.acer.com
http://www.toshiba.com
http://www.fujitsu.com
http://www.ibm.com
http://www.infocater.com
John Deutsch is the founder of EMR
Experts, a medical software consulting firm specializing
in Electronic Medical
Record Software solutions, located in San Diego,
CA. For more information visit www.emrexperts.com
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