The iPad Replaces the Clipboard
Early tablet computers mimicked paper charts, complete with the inability to access older records (they predated Wi-Fi, after all), so it's no surprise that the paper chart remained a hospital mainstay for many more years. The iPad is increasingly replacing the clipboard in several ways, though. Patients can fill out forms and questionnaires electronically before an appointment, giving physicians access to real-time information to better frame their discussion and make a diagnosis. Meanwhile, residents on hospital rounds can use iPads to collect patient information, place orders and prescribe drugs earlier in the admissions process than if they have to fight other residents to use a desktop computer.