Rounds with the iPad: a July attending's adventure

Vineet Arora MD, MPP, Associate Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, took her iPad along as the attending physician on rounds during July–the month where new interns, residents and students arrive on the wards.  Her impressions of using her iPad are on her blog.  In the two weeks she was on, Dr. Arora used the iPad as a point of care teaching tool, for daily preparation, for immediate online access (e.g. Epocrates), access to medical records and more.  Challenges:  carrying it around (size a factor, doesn’t fit in a white coat), keeping it sanitary (carrying it under the white coat), security and working around the lack of multiple windows.  Attending rounds with the iPad–hype or hindrance?.