And now for the bummer, it’s only available in Japan. Doh! Why can’t the U.S. have all these cool toys too?

The first video below shows the gesture control while the second is just a basic overview of the hardware and software.

You can find more information here.

Lexicomp’s I.V. Compatibility module is now available for your Lexicomp On-Hand subscription for Android™! By following the update instructions below, you can add this module to your existing Lexicomp On-Hand subscription. There is no additional charge for this enhancement.

The I.V. Compatibility module allows you to review compatibility and stability information for hundreds of parenteral medications and fluids. This module is based on information from the King® Guide to Parenteral Admixtures®. Thousands of clinicians are already using Lexicomp’s I.V. Compatibility module every day – now you can access this vital information on your Android smartphone or tablet as well.

To update your subscription to include I.V. Compatibility, follow these instructions:
Ensure you have a strong Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
On your Android device, tap the Market icon and search for Lexicomp.
Select Lexicomp and tap Update. When the warning appears, tap Accept & Download.
When the application is installed, tap the Lexicomp icon to access your software.

There are a couple of take home messages from this article. First, the increased use of mobile technology is finally forcing healthcare systems to make changes to their approach to technology. It’s something that’s been needed for a long time. Second, the article clearly demonstrates that our healthcare system remains physician centric. It isn’t until physicians cry foul that changes are made. I first asked for “mobile support” in a hospital setting nearly a decade ago, and continued to ask for it until I left the industry about six months ago. Unfortunately I’m a lowly pharmacist. Even at the last facility I worked in, which considered themselves quite technologically advanced, it wasn’t until physicians began demanding iPad support that we got it.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Just sayin’.

AUSTIN, TX – June 02, 2011 – Motion Computing®, a leading global provider of tablet PCs and supporting mobility solutions, today announced that its first small form factor, rugged tablet PC designed for productivity and business integration, the Motion® CL900, is now shipping. With a 10.1-inch display that enables both touch and stylus input, powered by the Intel® Atom™ Processor Z670 Series and running Windows® 7, the CL900 is a robust tablet PC that offers seamless business integration and enables access to and utilization of data while mobile.

Tweet this: @MotionComputing ships the ultra light #rugged CL900 #tabletpc http://bit.ly/i5SaXR #mobilecomputing #ssd

Motion’s first shipments include customers and partners in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, Germany and the United States, representing industries across Motion’s target markets including retail, field service, construction and healthcare.

“Since Motion’s inception, we have continuously delivered unique, quality products that have transformed the productivity of mobile workers,” said Mike Stinson, vice president of marketing, Motion. “The first shipment of the CL900 is exciting news because it means that Motion is now delivering the broadest, most comprehensive lineup of tablet PCs available for business.”

For mobile workers, tablet PCs are powerful productivity tools used to access, enter and transmit up-to-the-minute data, increasing efficiency and saving both time and money. The CL900 allows users to continuously communicate as well as analyze, report and act on data findings, all while in the field. Lightweight at less than 1kg (2.1 lbs) and with a bright LED backlit display, robust connectivity options and a variety of peripherals to support field use, the CL900 delivers on-demand access to critical applications and information to mobile workforces.

The new Motion CL900 offers advanced durability, connectivity, and mobility features including:

• IP-52-rated, sealed exterior and chemical-resistant chassis with aluminum-alloy internal frame
• Up to eight hours of battery life for uninterrupted productivity
• Lightweight, thin design that offers the protection of the MIL-STD-810G specification and includes Corning® Gorilla® Glass for enhanced durability
• Robust connectivity with optional integrated Gobi™ connectivity with GPS, WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth® 3.0 and a wireless SIM port for advanced communications
• 10.1-inch display that enables both touch and stylus input
• 30GB or 62GB solid state drive (SSD), and up to 2GB of RAM
• Front and rear-facing cameras to support documentation, video conferencing and collaboration (3.0 MP Rear Camera and 1.3 MP Front Web Camera)
• A full complement of ports, including USB, SD Card, audio and HD video to simplify the use of industry standard peripheral solutions
• A unique countertop docking station that optimizes the CL900 for touch input and adds a simple and easy way to integrate peripherals

Additionally, IT serviceability and enterprise support options help ensure uptime and reduce IT resource drain. Business benefits include:

• Manageability and security offerings available with Windows 7 and Computrace® Complete by Absolute® Software
• The performance needed to simultaneously run multiple enterprise applications
• The ability to deliver crisp, colorful HD video and graphics (HD 1366 X 768 resolution)

The Motion CL900 Tablet PC will also offer a unique peripheral module that will enable simple device expansion. Tightly secured and integrated into the device, the peripheral module will incorporate key documentation tools without compromising durability. The optional feature is expected to be available later this year.

It will be interesting to see if the CL900 can keep pace with the slew of new tablets hitting the market. While it looks like it has potential the one thing that concerns me is the inking demonstration in the video below (about 1:08 in). The user never touches the screen with his hand. So can the device support inking while resting your hand on the screen?

The PlayBook is really slim and has a solid feel. You’ll notice that the device does not have a “home” button like the iPad. You’ll need to play around to figure out how to navigate back to the home menu. Try a few on-screen gestures and you’ll quickly figure it out. If you can’t figure it out, try swiping up, swipe down, swipe left, etc. The new mobile Operating Systemis not like your typical BlackBerry. This new OS is much closer to HP webOS (formerly Palm webOS).”

I also had an opportunity to play with a BlackBerry PlayBook recently while at the airport (I wonder if it was the same airport). I found myself in a BlackBerry store, which I didn’t even know existed. I agree with much of what is said above, but I didn’t feel the device too small. I like being able to hold the PlayBook in one hand while controlling it with the other. I feel the same way about the 7” Galaxy Samsung tablet. It’s personal preference at this point.

One thing I think BlackBerry did especially well was the OS, which I also think is similar in approach to the webOS. I found it a breeze to navigate through several open apps without having to jump out of any single applications. With that said, it may take you a second to figure out how best to navigate using “off screen” finger swiping. It wasn’t immediately obvious.

The bottom line is that I’d like to have one.

The new x220t is every bit as impressive as the x201t, but has a slightly larger 12.5-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen. In addition it has a new ThinkPad battery pack that should provide the user some serious portability without the need to continuously be tethered to a plug. I get about 5-6 hours of continuous use  on a single charge with my x201t extended battery pack. I expect the new x220t will get at least that. Throw in the new batter slice and users could potentially get up to 16 hours on a single charge. You simply can’t ask for more than that.

In my opinion Lenovo tablets are the benchmark by which other convertible tablets should be measure. The only things I would ask from Lenovo if I had the chance to speak with them would be:

1. Option for convertible models offering 13.3-inch and 14-inch touchscreens. The Lenovo T410s that I have is one of the best machines I’ve ever owned. On occasion I reach up and try to rotate the screen and flip it over, which of course it isn’t capable of doing.
2. Develop an equivalent slate model

More information on the x220 Tablet PC can be found at the Lenovo site here.

There’s a great review of the BlackBerry PlayBook at CrackBerry.com if you’re interested in learning more about the device.

ATS makes a host of ReadyDock products for the entire range of Motion tablet PCs including the LE, C5, F5 and J3400. According to the company website:

“ReadyDock:UV – Chemical-Free disinfection for the Motion C5 Tablet in 105 seconds Flat! The world’s first and only product offering automated general purpose disinfection for TabletPCs. Disinfect without the mess.

ReadyDock™ products are used around the globe to support workflow and the overall management of tablet PC applications in hospitals, field service, and other applications that require charging, storage, and security of tablet PCs.”

- True Grit was #1 at the box office last weekend. My family and I saw it a couple of weeks back. Not a great movie, but worth seeing. Let’s just say it’s worth the cost of a DVD rental. This weekend it’s all about The Green Hornet.

- I spent some time on the east coast this week; work related. It was cold and snowy pretty much the entire time I was there. Went through Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. Of those places Virginia was my favorite. While I was in Virginia I had an opportunity to visit the University of Virginia Medical Center inpatient pharmacy. They’re doing some really cool stuff. I’m looking forward to a return visit a year from now to see what they’ve accomplished. I’d tell you my least favorite place during the trip, but that’s probably not Kosher.

- There was an interesting article recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine that discussed the effect of complex medication regimens on patient compliance. The article specifically looked at patients that were prescribed a statin or an angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitor or renin angiotensin receptor blocker between June 1, 2006, and May 30, 2007. In other words they looked at patients with commonly prescribed medications. That’s a good thing. Reasons for lower compliance were discussed, and the article concluded that “Medication use and prescription filling for patients with cardiovascular disease is complex, and strategies to reduce this complexity may help improve medication adherence.” I don’t think that’s an epiphany as we’ve known this for a long time. Of course, as medication complexity goes up, adherence goes down. However, tucked deeply in the article is the mention of a “pharmacy home” where medication use is consolidated, simplified and pharmacists are involved directly with the patients. This is probably the most important takeaway from the article. One issue I have with the article is that none of the authors is a pharmacist. I find that disturbing. (Niteesh K. Choudhry, MD, PhD; Michael A. Fischer, MD, MS; Jerry Avorn, MD; Joshua N. Liberman, PhD; Sebastian Schneeweiss, MD, ScD; Juliana Pakes, MEd; Troyen A. Brennan, MD, JD, MPH; William H. Shrank, MD, MSHS. The Implications of Therapeutic Complexity on Adherence to Cardiovascular Medications Arch Intern Med. 2011;0(2011))

- HealthLeaders Media: “ The ACO model predisposes collaboration between hospitals and physicians who overall have not collaborated well with each other in the past.” – This from an article titled “5 Reasons Why ACOs Could Fail”. If you’ve ever worked in a hospital then you know that working with physicians can be, um, challenging. The hospital rarely, if ever, disciplines a rogue physician and unfortunately most physicians could easily be classified as rouge. It’s a hostile work environment to say the least. In order for healthcare reform to be successful the current relationship model between hospitals and physicians must change. No question about it.

- Journal of Advanced Nursing (PDF): “Large dose deviations or weight losses can occur while splitting tablets. This could have serious clinical consequences for medications with a narrow therapeutic-toxic range.” – I find this article interesting for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, compounding pharmacists have been saying this for years and people called them quacks. Several years ago I worked in a compounding pharmacy in San Jose, CA and the pharmacist there was adamant about the fact that tablets are not designed to be cut in half. The entire tablet contains the active ingredient, but there is no guarantee that the active ingredient is evenly distributed throughout the tablet. Chalk one up for compounding pharmacists who were well ahead of the curve on this one. The other thing I would like to point out here is the number of pharmacists listed as authors on the article. Bravo ladies and gentlemen. Why wasn’t this published in a pharmacy journal?

- The New England Journal of Medicine audio summary is available for the week of January 13, 2011. I’m telling you now that this is a fantastic way to deliver the abstracts from a particular journal. ASHP really needs to be doing this with the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP).

- My lovely wife bought me a Kindle DX for my birthday; that’s the big one. What an awesome device. It makes reading books and PDF articles a snap. I love this thing. I can even get journal articles downloaded directly through Whispernet, Amazon’s free 3G on the Kindle devices. This includes issues of AJHP. Unfortunately it requires anther paid subscription, which kind of pisses me off considering I’m already an ASHP member and paid subscriber to the paper copy of AJHP.

- I can’t believe I almost missed this one, but Motion Computing recently announced the release of the CL900 Tablet PC, a rugged, lightweight tablet designed for healthcare. I’ve only briefly looked at the device, but what I’ve seen so far is impressive. As you may or may not be aware, I am a fan of the Motion J3500 device and on the surface the CL900 looks like a smaller, lighter version. Cool!

- InformationWeek Healthcare: “As AT&T advances its healthcare strategy by providing technology that supports wireless, networked, and cloud-based solutions specifically for the healthcare industry, the company announced Tuesday that it will be partnering with Vitality to sell Vitality GlowCaps on Amazon.com.” – I think GlowCaps are pretty cool and even blogged about them here. With that said, I think the pricing structure is a tad bit high. According to the article “The Vitality GlowCaps will be available for $10 per cap and $15 per month for AT&T service.” Ouch!

- There’s a great on-demand webinar called “Use of Automation and Robotic Technology to Improve the Process for Preparing Compound Sterile Products” over at the ASHP Media site. The presentation is delivered by Bill Churchill of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. I’ve heard Bill speak before. It’s worth an hour of your time.

- This is funny. The Borowitz Report: “Elsewhere, Verizon trumpeted its new iPhone, announcing, “For the first time, consumers will have a choice of which wireless carrier drops their calls.””

- Has everyone heard of Quora, the new social media website that has users ask and answer questions as “experts”. Can you say Wikipedia all over again? If I was going to look for information on how to change the oil in my truck I might have a look. Otherwise I’ll go to more reputable sources for my information. There’s an interesting little blurb over at hive.org by Dr. Chris Paton on Quora Health. Chris says, “There are already lots of questions and answers but, as yet, I haven’t seen many health professionals posting up replies. There are obviously lots of legal and ethical questions about giving medical or health advice through a site like this which may be deterring the professionals. This does mean, however, that many of the answers will be personal opinions and not backed by reliable evidence, and hence may end up being the wrong advice.” He makes a valid point, but who’s checking to make sure the information is reliable and evidence based? Please don’t go to sites like Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers, Twitter, Facebook or Quora for information pertaining to you or your family’s health. It’s just not a good idea.

- EHR reference in a comic strip? You bet.

- CES is over, but there’s a great article over at ReadWrite Mobile about the best new Android devices that appeared at CES 2011. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see all these new Android devices. Seriously, I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on all of them. Of course I’ll never see most of them, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the thought of seeing them and what the future holds that piques my interest.

- When do you think we’ll see the first physical Android Store? Think about it, something like an Apple Store or Microsoft Retail Store. People have a real interest and curiosity regarding Android tablets, netbooks and smartphones. With the exception of smartphones, it is nearly impossible to get your hands on any of these devices. Without playing with them for a few minutes it’s difficult to make a decision on which device to spend your hard earned money on.

- Ok people, it’s playoff time. This is the time of year that all football fans wait for. The BCS bowl disasters are over and it’s time to get down to business. On tap for this weekend in the AFC we have Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore and New York Jets vs. New England. And over in the NFC we have Green Bay vs. Atlanta and Chicago vs. Seattle. I like all the teams except New England. I hate the Patriots and hope they go down in a spectacular ball of burning white-hot flame. Otherwise I’ll just sit back and enjoy the games. Speaking of which, it’s time to go get comfortable on the couch.

Have a great weekend everyone.