While the announcement of Apple’s iPad didn’t elicit the oohs and ahhs that many anticipated, healthcare marketers were quick to see the promise of a powerful and user-friendly tablet PC. Tablets are nothing new in healthcare, but historically the lack of speed and user experience has fallen short of the promise—limiting adoption into many practices.
But times may be changing. Has Apple’s brilliant product design team finally developed a truly useable touch-screen tablet?
Will the iPad do for the tablet what the iPhone did for the smartphone?
While we won’t have any answers until the iPad hits the streets, here are three healthcare marketing efforts that could be transformed by the introduction of a remarkable tablet.
1. E-Detailing and the Enabled Salesforce
Recent news from big Pharma indicates that investment into e-detailing is set to almost double in 2010. And with shrinking sales forces and heightened regulation, the e-detailing “need for speed” will most certainly increase in the coming year.
Much of the current e-detailing process happens on laptops and (increasingly) on. The iPad’s interactivity, multimedia integration and resolution will offer opportunities for advances in e-detailing applications—supporting richer experiences and profoundly engaging HCPs in the process.
E-detailing may migrate from a data-entry process to a deeply interactive experience that not only captures sales information but also helps to inform.
2. Trade Show & Conferences
Look for the iPad to become the medical conference device of 2010. Extending the booth to the iPad has clear benefits and could lead to a more personalized experience. The integration of interactive tools and presentations is nothing new to booth designers, but the iPad may allow marketers to put the same experience into an attendee’s hands.
Imagine providing iPads at conferences that are location-aware—personalized for different sections of the booths and with a presentation layer that customizes based on the attendee’s specialty or knowledge level.
3. Custom iPad Apps
There currently over 30,000 healthcare-related iPhone applications available for download, ranging from EMR/EHR-related tools to medical references to simple health trackers. The iPad will support the same distribution model. If the iPad truly does catch on among care providers, there will be obvious opportunities for pharma and biotech companies to developing comprehensive applications around specific treatments types and drugs. In addition to indications, these apps could provide in-depth disease and treatment information—with potential to improve patient-provider communications.
The first-generation iPad will be available in late-March, with a 3G version coming in April. Several software companies have already begun developing applications using the SDK.
The team at CB will continue to keep a close eye on new developments with the iPad and other technology channels.
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- Ben Z
