iPod vs Tablet for rotations

[MattK]

Obviously pros and cons to each, but I'm interested to hear any thoughts.

 

I like that the iPod would be barely noticeable in one's coat, buttoned or unbuttoned, while a 7" tablet seems cumbersome. However, I feel like a tablet would be better for reading references (uptodate, textbooks, etc) between cases.

 

Lastly, wifi is generally accessible at most health care facilities... right?

 

Totally a non-techy guy, hence this thread. Thanks.

[Just Steve]

At every clinic I have been to on my rotations, there are about 1.2 kazillion reference books in addition to the plethora of computers that are internet accessible and most, if not all, already have access to UpToDate! paid for by the clinic.

 

If you want to justify buying a tablet, you're gonna have to come up with a better reason. Personally, I find it easier to play Zombie slayer games on than my iphone but that may not work for a good reason either. :-)

 

I have used my tablet to work with patients, pulling up references, diagrams, graphs, examples, etc etc however if I wanted to, I could have pulled out the printed versions of the same from the files in the clinics. I stopped carrying mine after the first couple of months. It was cumbersome and I am stupid enough to set it down and walk away from it, forgetting where I put it. The phone slips into my pocket and has worked well for reading my e-flashcards and other study programs, plus Angry Birds on a phone is still quite good.

[greenmood]

It seemed mostly useless on rotations. I used my phone and it worked fine when I needed it. The people who had tablets/iPad minis just seemed... like they were dependent on them. Like they'd bought them for clinicals and now were determined to use them, no matter how silly it looked whipping out a tablet to check on medscape when there was a computer just sitting there with a full subscription to UpToDate (agreeing with Just Steve, here). Some people had them supplied by their school, and would actually open them in the room with patientsto look up information, as if having it supplied by the school was tacit approval to use it where/whenever they felt like it, regardless of how unprofessional it looked.

 

So, cautionary tales, I guess? Like I said, my little phone worked great when I needed a quick peek at drug interactions or whatever.

[MattK]

Great points so far, thanks. The only reason I am looking into a handheld device is because I don't have a smart phone and don't intend to get one. I'm thinking the iPod will fit the bill for what I need, and it's small enough to not be a bother.

[greenmood]

I saw a lot of iPad minis.