Apple iPad tablet may actually be the future of health care

Yes, we’re very sorry we’re contributing to the Apple tablet computer rumor mill, but it was too interesting to pass up. Obligatory background stuff: Apple is working on a new device. It’s a very secret device, but the odds are high that it is a small tablet computer that runs on the iPhone operating system, making neato things like touchscreens, 3G network accessibility, a full color e-reader and customized applets a distinct possibility.

Ok so it’s a big iPhone, probably with a big price tag to match, right? Not so fast.

There are a few convening technologies and social issues that may prove to be a unique climate for the iPad’s debut on January 27. For one thing, Obama’s administration seems very acutely interested in making electronic medical records a key feature of his health care reform. And when it comes to the specs of the iPad, as they say, “There’s an app for that.”

The second factor is that students of all stripes, not just health care program students, enjoy the convenience of a laptop for their studies, but most textbooks are being sold through services for e-reader devices like Amazon’s Kindle. So Apple has a vested interest in challenging Amazon’s dominance in the textbook reader market. They can do it by combining an e-reader with a portable computer that features Wi-Fi access.

Third, the iPhone has been quite an able program for medical applications like Epocrates and iChart. Epocrates is a medical app which lets doctors view continually updated clinical data, check for drug-drug interaction, identify pills by visual characteristics and perform medical calculations. iChart is like a personal medical assistant, which stores everything from patient data to charts and lists of medications in a streamlined, organized fashion.  The problem with the iPhone is that it is too small to handle all of this data in a format that’s easy to access and read. The iPad’s rumored larger screen will take care of this problem too.

Because of electronic medical records and instantaneous treatment options are something patients and doctors can benefit from, healthcare providers want a device that can do all of this in a versatile, rugged and portable format. They basically want something that can substitute the clipboard, a scanner and a cart-mounted computer on wheels. And if Apple can deliver something like this in an attractive package and a smart price-point, health care education AND services will be revolutionized within months.

Keep your fingers crossed (unless you have to text this story to a friend).