Recently, there has been a great deal of coverage on internet news sites with headlines such as “Study: iPads Increase Residency Efficency.” These headlines are pulled from a “Research Letter” in Archives of Internal Medicine, reporting from the University of Chicago, regarding the distribution of iPads capable of running Epic via Citrix.
Sounds good, but it’s untrue.
What is true is that residents reported that they used the iPads for work. The additionally thought that it saved them time, and thought it improved their efficiency on the wards. This is to say, they liked using the iPad.
The part that isn’t true is where the authors claim an increase in “actual resident efficiency.” By analyzing the hour of the day in which orders are placed, the authors attempt to extrapolate to a hypothetical reality in which this means iPads are helping their residents place orders more quickly on admitted patients, and to place additional orders while post-call, just before leaving the hospital. There is, in fact, no specific data that using the iPad makes the residents more efficient, only data showing the hour of the day in which orders are placed has changed from one year to the next. The iPad has, perhaps, changed their work habits – but without prospectively observing how these iPads are being used, it is impossible to conclude how or why.
But, at least they liked them! And, considering how addictive Angry Birds is, I’m surprised their productivity isn’t decreased.