iPad: The Answer to Health Care Cost Reduction

I had reason to choose a new doctor recently so I wanted one that was younger and more in tune with my needs. From the huge list on my providers list I choose Dr. Young. (Obviously not his real name nor is his clinic, ABC.) I had been in the hospital for an emergency and Dr. Young was on the short list. I made my appointment. I asked if my medical records from the hospital were needed. He said no, that he could get them by e-mail from the hospital. I just needed to sign the paperwork in his office. I arrived at the clinic thinking that I would have to fill out a mound of paperwork about my life and my recent hospital stay. No paper work was required. I went into the back area where all the medical stuff was done and noticed that everyone seemed to have a netbook computer. Extremely clumsy as it may seem holding it on one arm and typing on the keyboard. When I had my vitals taken, they were immediately entered. When I saw my doctor, he had all the information right in front of him. No bulky paper file. He had my entire treatment from the hospital. He was able to see the medicines that the hospital had given me and the prescriptions. He was able to decide on a course of therapy to reduce my high (I mean really high 200+ over 140+) schedule an ultra sound for my kidneys, and later a MRI. The results of which were sent to my doctor and were available at my next office visit. But the problem as I saw it was these bulky awkward netbooks. How many people can have their net book open on one arm while trying to type on it. AND THEN THE iPad. If all medical offices could embrace the iPad, the amount of paper work would reduce to nil. Patients records could be more accurate. (How about including a picture of the patient for id purposes.) Test results would be closer to real time and not have to be transcribed. All the manpower involved in shuffling all that paper work could be eliminated. And this is just in a clinic setting. What would happen if a major provider like Cigna or Humana decided to embrace the iPad instead of paper. The cost savings would be tremendous. The accuracy of care would be close to perfect. The trees that would be saved would be billions.