While the iPad targets general consumers rather than business users, director of technical services at Kaweah Delta Health Care District Nick Volosin saw a use for the device in the hands of hospital staff. The iPad, with its 10-hour battery life and portability, can replace the laptop for usual office applications such as e-mail, as well as for looking at X-ray images, EKG results, and patient monitoring programs. This information will be delivered using the Citrix virtual desktop software, which gives users access to their desktop from any location on a number of different devices including Macs, tablets, and smartphones.
At the moment, the hospital only has three iPads that it purchased for testing and demonstration. However, they have already placed on order for 100 more. The ordering process was a bit tricky, since Apple limits the purchase of iPads to three per person. Nonetheless, Volosin was able to straighten out the issue over the phone. The hospital has been using the Citrix software on the iPhone for a while now, so integrating the iPad into the system is not expected to be a problem. With the industry’s enormous demand for new software and equipment, it’s no wonder healthcare is getting more expensive every year.