Reasons to Not Use Virtual Desktop Access to Your EMR on an Ipad

I found this great article which highlights a number of the reasons I’ve been saying that the iPad needs its own native EMR interface and not just some Virtual Desktop solution to access your EMR.

First it offers two reasons why the Virtual Desktop solution is a good option:
-Security
-Cost

The first benefit of security is a good once since as long as your virtual desktop and access to your virtual desktop are secured, then you don’t have to worry about healthcare related data on the iPad. The second benefit is mostly a benefit to the EMR software vendor. Sure, they could make the argument that the price to develop a native iPad app is passed on to the end user. However, most doctors won’t feel that cost. In most cases it just means that other features on the EMR development roadmap will just get pushed back. Although, even this can be a bad strategy if your developers are good at developing EMR software on your current platform, but aren’t familiar with developing a native iPad app. Then, it’s worth spending some money on an iOS developer who knows which features of the iPad they can really leverage.

Now on to the reasons the article suggests that you develop a native iPad app and not just do the virtual desktop solution:
-Doesn’t Make Use of Native iPad Functionality
-Requires Constant Connectivity
-Virtualized Apps are Not Optimized for the iPad

The first and third in the list are very much related and are the biggest reasons why a native iPad EMR app makes so much sense if you’re going to do something on the iPad. The second item actually doesn’t apply very well to an iPad EMR app which even when created as a native app will likely need to have internet connectivity to have any value. An EMR iPad app could be made that didn’t need connectivity, but I have yet to see one that’s done that.

About the author

John Lynn

John Lynn is the Founder of HealthcareScene.com, a network of leading Healthcare IT resources. The flagship blog, Healthcare IT Today, contains over 13,000 articles with over half of the articles written by John. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 20 million times.

John manages Healthcare IT Central, the leading career Health IT job board. He also organizes the first of its kind conference and community focused on healthcare marketing, Healthcare and IT Marketing Conference, and a healthcare IT conference, EXPO.health, focused on practical healthcare IT innovation. John is an advisor to multiple healthcare IT companies. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can be found on Twitter: @techguy.

2 Comments

  • Security is the main reason for any iPad app.

    99% of EHR uses will be with constant connectivity, so that isn’t an issue…if it is, the setup needs to be changed.

    Tablets are not a great (EHR) input device anyway.

    Yes, a great display device, but input? Hardly.

  • John Brewer, try Codea, App Cooker, or Garage Band on your iPad2. These apps have intense input requirements and astonishingly complex workflows. If you are a doctor or nurse, I am surprised that you would feel security is more important to health care than access, portability, flexibility, and workflow. If you are an IT professional then I am not surprised you fail to grasp how devastating point-and-click has been to us and our work. Windows and desktops are simply not up to the task but fortunately that era appears to be ending.

Click here to post a comment
   

Categories