Survey of physicians suggests tablets more useful than smartphones

Two reports from AmericanEHR Partners based on a survey of nearly 1,400 physicians suggests that newest tablets are of greater use for clinical purposes than smartphones.

"Mobile Usage in the Medical Space 2013" and "Tablet Usage by Physicians 2013" reveal that the most common activity of physicians who use an electronic health record (EHR) and use a smartphone or tablet is "sending and receiving emails." The second most frequent activity among tablet users is accessing EHRs (51 percent daily). Just 7 percent of physicians use their smartphone to access EHRs. Among physicians who have an EHR, 75 percent use a smartphone and 33 percent use a tablet, but time spent on latest android tablet is 66 percent higher than time spent on smartphones.

"These two reports provide useful insights into how physicians use technology to interact with patients, physician satisfaction with mobile devices and apps, and the differences of technology use within various user demographics," said Thomas Stringham, co-founder of AmericanEHR Partners, which provides comprehensive information to support clinicians in the selection and use of EHRs to improve health care delivery.

The top market share position is held by Apple®, with 55 percent of physicians using smartphones and 54 percent using tablets. Clinical app usage in a medical practice was much higher among smartphone users (51 percent daily) than tablet users (30 percent daily). The top five smartphone apps used in a medical practice were Epocrates®, Medscape®, MedCalc®, Skyscape®, and Doximity®. The top five tablet apps used in a medical practice were Epocrates®, Medscape®, Up To Date®, MedCalc®, and Skyscape®.

Only 28 percent of smartphone users and 18 percent of tablet users were "very satisfied" with the quality of apps for their profession.Included with the Aspire P3 is a Bluetooth keyboard case that adds 1.3 lbs. to the Q88 Tablet overall weight. It's important to note that this keyboard doesn't attach mechanically to the tablet, as some other Windows 8 hybrids do. When open, the bottom lip of the slate rests in a groove right above the keyboard, so that the device is propped at a good angle for typing.

Though unique, this setup doesn't feel very secure. We had no trouble using the P3 on our lap, but we would expect the tablet to flop backward easily if we were on a bumpy bus ride or turbulent flight.Powered by a third-generation 1.5-GHz Intel Core i5-3339Y Processor, 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD, the Aspire P3 turned in above-average benchmark scores. However, other Windows 8 tablets are faster.

Above the keyboard is a power button, two blue status lights and a microUSB port used to charge the accessory. The power button and lights are hidden when the tablets for sale is propped up, but we like that the keyboard automatically paired with the tablet so that we didn't have to mess with any Bluetooth settings.