6. March 2011. The iPad 2 was released in March of last year, and according to this article by Merrill, the tool was looking even better for doctors and health professionals. BIDMC CIO John Halamka was part of a video, released by Apple, highlighting the tool's use in healthcare. "What we have tried to do on the iPad is give doctors at the point of care the tools they need at the exact moment the doctor can make a difference," he said in the video. Apple CEO Steve Jobs was quoted as saying the iPad had "defined an entirely new category of mobile devices. While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we're launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition. ..."

7. April 2011. Senior Editor Patty Enrado explored the iPad's ability to drive EHR adoption in this blog post back in April of last year. "An estimated 22 percent of U.S. physicians were using iPads by the end of 2010... in a February 2011 survey by [Aptilon], four out of five physicians said they plan to buy an iPad this year," she wrote. According to Enrado, both patients and physicians understand the power and convenience of EHRs when they see how seamlessly the iPad enters data and pulls up information when synched with an EHR system. "And once developers create clinical apps for the iPad, expect an even greater adoption and adoration," she wrote. 

[See also: iPad EHR gets certified...what next?.]

8. July 2011. In July of last year, the first iPad EHR gained meaningful use certification, reported Managing Editor Mike Miliard. "Drchrono, which offers a free electronic health record platform on the iPad, has received ONC-ACTB certification," he wrote. Features included in the drchrono iPad included real time clinical speech-to-text on the iPad, custom workflows, and integrated electronic medical billing. "[T]he iPad is a natural fit in the medical space," said Daniel Kivatinos, cofounder and COO of drchrono. "It was a thrilling experience to be the first company to use an iPad during the meaningful use certification process."  

9. February 2012. mHIMSS editor Eric Wicklund, in this article from this past month, looked to a survey from Spyglass Consulting, which concluded that, although 98 percent of physicians are using mobile devices, still 83 percent are using desktop computers as their primary way of accessing information. So where does the iPad come into play? "The study indicated 80 percent of physicians surveyed believe the iPad shows promise for healthcare, but at present, it can only be used as a communications platform," Wicklund wrote. "The iPad represents only one component of an overall end-to-end clinical solution," said Gregg Malkary, managing director at Spyglass Consulting. "Significant software innovation will be required to realize the vision for anytime, anywhere clinical computing." 

10. February 2012.  Also last month, Dennard asked in this blog post whether the tool eventually won't live up to all the attention it's received. "Whether it's design-oriented, security concerns, or a Windows bias, everyone has an opinion on this popular product," she wrote. "Does the iPad have what it takes to become a healthcare game changer? Or is its dirty little secret that it won't ultimately live up to the hype?" 

11. March 2012. Yesterday, iMedicalApps.com documented five reasons the iPad 3 is bound to help physicians. The primary update, they wrote, will be a new, high resolution "retina display," which has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and is "sure to appeal to a wider medical community." Overall, the article concluded, "today's announcements cement Apple's position as the leader in the tablet market, and thus iOS for medical software." 

Are you using an iPad in the clinical setting? Leave your comments below.

Follow Michelle McNickle on Twitter, @Michelle_writes