Impact of iPad Limited in Radiology Residents' Clinical Duties

You might have noticed more doctors incorporating the use of technology into everyday medical visits. In fact, the iPad in particular is being used in actual procedures to help guide and assist residents perform in the best way possible. However, a new study shows that this technological tool may provide limited educational assistance.

"Some sectors of the medical community consider the iPad to be a revolutionary tool in health care delivery, with many use scenarios focused on medical imaging. The purpose of our study was to assess residents' use patterns and opinions of the iPad as a tool for radiology education and clinical practice at an academic medical center," said Justin W. Kung, M.D., co-author of the study, via a press release.

A study of 38 radiology residents in the radiology program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston provided participants with iPad 2 tablets and subscriptions to e-Anatomy and STATdx. Following a six-month period using the device, residents were surveyed to assess their opinions regarding the tool for educational purposes and clinical practice.

Thirty-six residents completed the study, with 86 percent reporting daily iPad use. The survey showed radiology-specific applications were used weekly or daily by 88 percent or participants and most preferred to read journal articles on the device. However, the number of respondents who preferred to read textbooks on the iPad compared with traditional textbooks were evenly divided, and most had not used the device to view clinical examinations. Lastly, only 12 percent used the iPad to sign dictated reports.

"The impact of the iPad on the daily clinical duties of radiology residents in our study was limited, but residents at our institution have adopted the iPad to view electronic journals and use radiology-specific applications. The full impact of this device on resident education will depend on the development of applications that harness the unique ability of this medium for training the next generation of radiologists," said Kung, via the press release.

The findings for the study are published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.