Could moving content from desktop to tablet save a life? When it comes to making it easier for doctors to view medical images, it just might.

Converting from desktop to mobile opens up new possibilities in form factor and workflows, but it also changes how information is consumed and shared. And even these seemingly small changes can completely reinvent an existing solution.

This piece is the first in a series exploring the transition from desktop to mobile, with attention to the less-considered opportunities and differences it surfaces. We’ll begin with a medical case study in which simple tactile differences result in a much richer and more consultative overall experience.

Case Study: Mobile Medical Consultations with SeeMyRadiology

With SeeMyRadiology – a system that offers instant access to medical images and reports via the cloud – moving to mobile brought a new ease to scanning through images. Doctors can flip through hundreds of images from CT scans by sliding or swiping a finger. This provides greater animation control and makes it significantly easier for a doctor to spot irregularities.

Unlike its desktop counterpart, the SeeMyRadiology mobile interface lets users dynamically resize an image, tapping and dragging on the screen to bring about even better clarity. The nature of a handheld device makes it effortless to bring the image closer for inspection.

While the desktop version offers similar basic functions, mobile introduced a better way to view and control images.

Creating a Consultative Experience

SeeMyRadiology’s mobile solution empowers doctors, health care professionals, and patients by giving them immediate access to images and medical charts on an iPad. Using a tablet, doctors can quickly provide diagnoses and consultations from any location with access to an internet connection.

But the consultative aspect isn’t specific to healthcare. While desktop monitors are larger in size, there’s a discernible barrier created by the information being tied to an stationary screen. As more industries begin to utilize tablets to power field enablement solutions, they’re discovering that this experience naturally encourages collaboration in a way that desktop has not.

Since many desktop products are made for individual experiences, they haven’t been matured for for the consultative, collaborative aspect. This transition not only requires clear visuals, but a completely new way to think about how you manipulate and access information.

Taking Users Beyond Desktop

With enterprises moving from rigid desktop programs to major mobile solutions, they should be aware of how great an impact even the smallest adjustments can be. The transition in mobile isn’t just a change in software, but a change in expectations and possibilities.