Health professionals around the world including the US and UK have historically been slow to adopt new technology according to a report in the Financial Times. For instance a study by the California Healthcare Foundation found only 25 percent of physicians in the US are on target to meet the deadline for new federal standards for moving to electronic medical records. The UK’s NHS has run into similar problems as it struggled to move from paper to electronic patient records.

However there is also significant innovation in areas such as mobile health, explains the article, pointing as an example to software developed for the iPad by a company called Tonic Health to streamline form-filling for patients.  The Apple tablet of course has a high penetration in healthcare. There would be much interest in the rumoured 7-inch iPad mini.  The article quotes a Bain & Co consultant saying the healthcare industry is enthusiastic about a smaller, more portable version of the Apple tablet. There is speculation that Apple  company could announce such a device next month.