Abstract

The University Health Network equipped the Gastroenterology consult service with Apple iPhone devices and provided access to push e-mail, phone and Internet access to clinical content and applications. We used pre-post surveys to assess the iPhone's impact on clinical communication, and we held interviews to obtain subjective user feedback, comparing it to prior experiences with Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerrys where possible. The iPhone's phone and e-mail capabilities improved team communication, allowing more efficient coordination of patient care. Compared with the BlackBerry, it was also the preferred personal device due to its touch screen navigation and breadth of applications available. However, users felt the BlackBerry was the more productive communication device, mainly due to its physical QWERTY keyboard. The mobile device market in healthcare continues to be competitive, and the vendor who can most effectively combine a good interface with long battery life and access to practical healthcare applications will find success.