In the past, we have experimented with using iPads for providers when seeing patients and in the lab area to track patients. Ankhos is a ‘web’ app, meaning it can be loaded with any browser but some work better than others. We have optimized for Google Chrome so we are prioritizing a browser that uses the Webkit rendering engine, which the iPad’s Safari does.
As many other EMR companies have found, the iPad turned out to be great for viewing data and performing simple tasks. However, the iPad is inadequate for typing MD notes, making inpatient orders or really typing of any kind.
Enter the new Toshiba Excite 10 inch tablet (Engadget review). I bought one of these for my personal use a few weeks ago and loved it. Naturally, the first thing I did was load Ankhos in Chrome. Amazing. It’s smart enough to know when you want to drag and when you want to scroll (without The iPad’s clunky two-finger scrolling). The javascript widgets we use render quickly and it is generally more responsive. It responds to user input even through latex gloves. You still wouldn’t want to type a lengthy document on it, but it is far less fidgety than the iPad.
We only have one in the office (for now) and we are testing it in the ‘chemo hood’. The chemo hood is an protected, ventilated workspace for mixing toxic chemotherapy drugs.
Chemotherapy is mixed and bagged in a ventilated area
It’s a pain to get in and out of the hood to check doses and document who mixed the chemo and when. By putting a tablet inside the hood (which stays there), we can let the mixer do their documentation in Ankhos without leaving her workspace.
I can’t wait to get a few more and see how they fare with MD order entry and short notes.
