Understanding iPad EMR - Web-based Electronic Medical Records Software

The Apple iPad has made its entrance in the US healthcare niche in a grand style. The user-friendly interface of the iPad means that it is ideally suited for physicians who were searching for an easy way of staying connected with their facility’s patient information system. This fact has now been acknowledged by leading EMR vendors across the nation. More and more EMR providers are upgrading their softwares for creating iPad-compatible versions. The present niche of iPad formats is a bit confusing with a wide range of choices on offer. Firstly, some iPad EMR solutions are strictly iPad-based (dedicated iPad EMR solutions) while others offer web-based access, i.e. EMRs that can be accessed on the iPad using various browsers. It is difficult to define what constitutes a perfect iPad EMR solution. A more formal grouping of different types of iPad EMR solutions has been listed below:


  • Web-based EMR—these are the more common of iPad EMR solutions wherein using the Safari browser, the user can easily log onto his EMR interface.
  • Remote Access EMR—these include EMR solutions that have been created using a client/server configuration. These are perfect for physicians who need patient data access from remote locations. However, this isn’t the fastest way of accessing patient information in the EMR system.
  • Native EMR—these are the trendiest, slickest forms of iPad EMR solutions that function like any other dedicated iPad app. However, the number of such iPad-specific EMRs is rather limited.

Using iPad EMR makes sense for medical providers who are eagerly seeking solutions that help them to stay connected with patient data and allow them to streamline data indexing and storage systems with limited costing. iPad EMR solutions mean that physicians can create patient care charts even when travelling and are no longer dependent on an exclusive EHR log-in point. The biggest utility of iPad EMR emerges for physicians who constantly travel such as those who need to make daily patient visits or those who tend to attend many seminars or travel internationally for taking upon challenging patient cases, such as noted surgeons.

iPad EMRs are not limited in any way and offer all the features that are available on a standard EMR. In fact, having an iPad EMR system means that the ability of the physician to communicate or collaborate with his staff, patients or other providers is increased appreciably. Further, it makes sense for the iPad makers to take the initiative in creating dedicated applications for the US healthcare industry considering that healthcare is among the top, three industries that have shown an interesting in adopting the iPad for conducting their business. Some leading iPad EMR solution providers include Practice Fusion and Both LogMeIn & Practice Fusion.

First Impressions

The iPad is already a popular handheld device and its integration into the medical community, i.e. as a solutions provider was only a part of time. Even GE Healthcare is slowing progressing towards creating iPad EMR solutions. GE Healthcare has taken the initiative with two versions of its primary health software introduced on the iPad. This includes Centricity Advance and Centricity Practice Solution. These EMR solutions are reported to run faster on iPad as compared to their performance on other smartphones.



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