Doctors and medical specialists are considering the new Apple iPad Pro as a cheaper alternative communication device in healthcare settings. An iPad Pro app called 3D4Medical gives doctors a better understanding of the human body with a 3D animated representation of the human anatomy.
On September 9, Tim Cook unveiled the iPad Pro, the "biggest news in the iPad since the iPad." The iPad Pro came in a larger 12.9" screen and a faster 64-bit processor. Healthcare IT News reports that the iPad Pro dons the right size as a healthcare device, the PC being too big and the smartphone too small.
Analyst Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. says that Apple intends to use the iPad Pro to replace the PC in hospitals. "The message being that Apple is trying to push the iPad to be more of a PC replacement, a converged device of a tablet notebook that has broader computing powers," says Sacconaghi.
In the healthcare setting, the Apple iPad Pro is a possible alternative healthcare communication device that is more affordable than existing ones, according to HealthLeaders Media. The iPad Pro costs from $799 to $1079 while a medical device such as the Motion Computing C5 Mobile Assistant platform i9s costs $2,199.
Apple collaborated with companies to create medical apps for the iPad Pro. Such is the 3D4Medical app, a joint effort between the Cupertino-based titan and an Irish company 3D4Medical. The app provides 3D renders of the human body anatomy. Its animated simulation shows how the body moves along with the skeletal and muscular system.
With the 3D4Medical app, doctors can show patients how a specific part of the body works, says Medical Daily. They can pinpoint where an injury took place with the help of the Apple Pencil. The app throws more light to the human body to give both doctors and patients alike a greater understanding of how it operates.
A big concern with the use of the iPad Pro in healthcare is security. Matt Fenwick of the American Hospital Association says that the security of electronic health records and other sensitive patient information should be given precedence.
Given the success of the iPhone in the medical market, there is a high chance that the new Apple iPad Pro will make its presence in the healthcare industry as well. There are reports that the Apple Watch is being equipped with medical apps that update doctors about their patients' conditions in real time.
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