There has recently been a debate going on regarding whether advances in mobile health are helping or hurting patients. I read an article, How iPads Improve the Patient Experience, which gave one side of the story on how mobile technology can be a boon to treating patients.
The article references a Mayo Clinic YouTube video which shows how heart patients are walked through surgery preparations. It also mentions customizing MRI settings to introduce the patient’s music, photo, videos, etc. which could be especially helpful in calming nerves of anxious patients. The iPad has also been helpful in making hospital check-in quick and paperless, as well as helping doctors communicate with remote patients.
On the flip side, mobile devices have gotten a bad reputation for being distracting in the hands of doctors. The article Are iPads And iPhones Too Distracting For Doctors? mentions a case in which a resident, distracted by her phone, did not complete a medication change which nearly killed the patient.
Do you think mobile devices in the hospital are helpful to patients or a distraction to doctors?
