The Usability, Functionality and Acceptance of iPads in Healthcare Practice: A Study of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Students on Placements

As mobile devices become ubiquitous, healthcare practitioners are exploring how using technological support in the workplace could advance their practice, communication and learning. This paper discusses findings from a research study funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK which investigated how using iPads impacted on physiotherapy and occupational therapy students’ learning, reflective practice and communication with peers and tutors during placement cycles. Similar to research carried out amongst physicians in 2009, the students found that the devices collapse ‘time and space’ because they permit users to access data and resources when moving between patients, wards and clinics (Prgoment et al. 2009). The paper also discusses how students used the iPads to interact with other professionals and patients while in hospital and community settings; as well as, the usability of the devices and associated Apps for improving their learning (Clay, 2010). Apps were found to be good tools for documenting individual learning histories, engaging with learning objects and developing personalized structured education (Ifenthaler and Schweinbenz, 2013). The project adopted a participatory action research approach. Eighteen student participants used iPads during their placements in a variety of settings for a period of 5 – 10 weeks. The students were supported by visiting tutors and practice educators over an eight-month period. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with students, visiting tutors and practice educators to ascertain the utility and acceptance of the devices in practice settings. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model developed by Venkatesh et al. (2003) is used to analyse the acceptability of the devices in clinical settings. In particular, the research focuses on why user acceptance is challenged by established practitioners and why healthcare settings have not adapted their environs and infrastructure so mobile devices can be used more readily by practitioners.