An iPad a day...
by Sam Pettyjohn — February 10, 2012
In my work at Health Literacy Missouri, I conduct clinical assessments – detailed walking tours of a hospital or clinic and its grounds. The purpose is to take the view and position of a patient trying to navigate through the hospital and find ways to make it easier if we find it’s confusing or unclear. We check to see if signs are easy to read and follow, how helpful and knowledgeable staff is and how easy it is to walk from one department to another.
Usually, we document all of this with a notepad and a camera. We take a picture of a problem, or a good example, and then write notes on paper. In the past, this gets unwieldy and confusing quickly. If you’re not really organized, it can be difficult (when you’re back at the office) to remember what pictures match what notes. Then you must also spend time taking the hand-written notes and transcribing them into a word document.
During two recent assessments in southern Missouri, we tried something new. We unwrapped a shiny new iPad in the office about a month ago and had been looking for ways to integrate it into our work. We stumbled on something awesome when it comes to our assessment work.
iPads have two built-in cameras and some fairly sophisticated note-taking software is available in the app store. Now, we can snap a picture and write a note directly beneath it. When we are done, we email it to HLM and it is waiting for us when we get back to the office. I believe this technology has saved us a lot of time and money on our assessments.
So, with all this being said, I am happy to welcome the iPad into our arsenal of health literacy tools. I’m excited about the innovation that new technology brings us in health literacy. I would also be lying if I didn’t say I am excited to browse Facebook with it on the next HLM long-haul road trip through rural Missouri.