New Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet - True Value to Healthcare IT

The company known for the top-of-the-line business laptop – Lenovo – just announced the debut of their professional Android-based ThinkPad Tablet. We’re really looking forward to seeing this on the street (expected availability – August 2011) but given the legacy of the ThinkPad product line, we expect to see this device make some strides within the healthcare IT environment beyond being what it promises to be – a true competitor to the iPad in the Physician EMR market.

The Android ™ 3.1 ThinkPad Tablet comes with the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 Dual-Core 1GHz processor, a multi-touch display with digitizer input (pen optional) and weighs in at 1.65 lbs. They say it will have up to 8 hours battery life, with WiFi enabled, and has up to 64GB storage. It also heralds bluetooth®, WiFi and 3G connectivity and native USB 2.0 and micro-USB ports, full-size SD card slot and mini-HDMI output. Overall the ThinkPad Tablet sounds pretty strong, especially if you consider the rumor on the street that Lenovo took a more quality-focused path to market not typically followed by manufacturers – instead of getting anything on the market soon as possible, the rumor is they took extra (probably painful) time to get it right.

This device comes with a decent share of business applications, to include Documents to Go and PrinterShare, but also a Citrix universal client allowing administrative access to IT managers. Citrix Receiver also promises to allow users to access their desktops from their tablet.

As much as the ThinkPad line is known for their expertise in business-focused platforms, this is not just a business tablet. The ThinkPad Tablet comes with games (yes, it has Angry Birds), the Kindle for Android app, and the ability to listen to music and watch movies.

So how does the ThinkPad Tablet “fit” into the Healthcare IT space? Let’s state the obvious for starters – EMRs/EHRs. Here are some stats from Mary Modahl’s (QuantiaMD) “Tablets Set to Change Medical Practice” dated June 15. 2011:

• 30% of Physicians currently use a tablet (as opposed to 5% of US consumers)
• Two thirds of these physicians use their tablet in a clinical setting
• An additional 35% of physicians said they are “extremely likely” to use a tablet in their practice within a few years.
• 18% get their mobile devices from the hospitals they are working with (signally hospitals are jumping into the market).

Beyond the EMR market, we’re all experiencing the symptoms that create another great value for a tablet - healthcare IT professionals at all levels are on the move, away from their desk, on call at all hours, and need easy access. The tablet provides a solution that’s unique - true access to applications, notes, & people without the constraint of being tied to their home computer or a small (smart phone) screen.

Knowing that the tablet market is still young and healthcare organizations’ adoption of strong mobility practices is growing rapidly, we expect that this true business tablet, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, coming to market with the ThinkPad heritage of success will be a firm competitor in, and more importantly a genuine value to, the healthcare IT workplace.