Vishal N. Ruparelia MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Safwan Halabi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The iPad and iPad 2 offer distinct advantages for viewing image rich radiology journal articles by allowing portability with a backlit high resolution screen. This exhibit has presented iPad applications that will allow clinicians to access, manipulate and organize electronic academic content as providers of this content transition from hard copy to soft copy formats..

According to a recent article by CNBC, over 22% of doctors are using an iPad at the end of 2010, and 80%  of physicians are predicted to purchase one by the end of this year. Several Apple iPad and iPad 2 applications have been developed to allow users to view, organize and annotate image rich journal articles. There are a multitude of reasons why clinicians are opting out of hard copy print journals in favor of the electronic or soft copy versions including: accessibility, readability, portability, and searchability. With the iPad being one of the most popular portable electronic mobile devices, finding the best application to quickly access and organize reference articles in radiology and other medical subspecialties will become essential.

Four iPad applications are presented and compared: 1. iAnnotate by Aji 2. Papers by Mekentosj 3. ReaddleDocs by Readdle 4. iBooks by Apple 

All four applications allow the user to save journal articles as Portable Document Files (PDF). Each application enables the user to organize and annotate documents in various ways. iAnnotate allows the user to hand write annotations, while the remaining applications allow for bookmarking. All of the applications enable zooming of images to full screen. iAnnotate and ReaddleDocs synchronize with online services, including Google Documents in addition to allowing synchronization with a computer or other mobile device, such as an iPhone. One of the key features of ReaddleDocs is the ability to search a user’s annotations. The Papers application sorts by authors and references, and it will sync with online NIH databases.

Ruparelia, V, Halabi, S, Saving Trees: An Overview of Essential Apple iPad Applications to View, Organize, and Annotate Image-rich Radiology Journal Articles.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11000945.html