iPhone and iPod Touch Medical Applications

December 7, 2008

Dr. Joshua Schwimmer wrote an article earlier this year called The New 3G iPhone, Doctors, The App Store, and Medicine in which he tried to predict what kinds of iPhone (and of course iPod Touch) applications would be available once Apple opened up the platform to 3rd party programmers. This week he posted an update called Medical Applications in the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch in which he highlights some of the almost 100 medical apps available for the Apple mobile platform.

I’ve tried many of these applications and they are a great start. Lots of physicians are using smart phones and many are die hard fans of iPhones. iPod Touch is not really made a big impact in hospitals and other mobile uses but I think it should — it’s almost the same platform as iPhone and is actually a cheaper device for use while roaming within a hospital using WiFi.

Check out Dr. Schwimmer’s postings and let me know what applications you’re dying to see on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Are you a physician using an iPhone or iPod Touch? What are your thoughts about it as a medical applications platform for mobile use?

  • Sherry Reynolds

    At a recent Seattle MindCamp one of the questions we asked was for everyone who owns an iPhone to raise their hand.. Granted we are all early adopters but 90% of the hands went up.

    Since over 95% of all “health care” occurs outside of the Physican Office but I am going to offer one quick thoughts. My favorite almost iPhone app is a series of trackers that you can use to track your diet, sleep, mood, symptoms ect. TheCarrot.com (I have NO affiliation with them)

    They haven’t mastered the reporting functions (a page a day) yet and the food selections are dominated by brands but it is heading in the right direction. Since many start-ups are dominated by men they also often forget things like tracking fertility and cycles.

    (Even though I was a consultant implementing huge expensive vendor based EMR”s for the past five years it is becoming so clear that small simple modular apps provide far more value to both providers and patient consumers that I no longer do that.)

    S Reynolds

  • http://www.medicineandtechnology.com/ Joseph Kim, MD, MPH

    I’m eager to see more medical applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Adoption by the medical community has been great, but medical students aren’t finding the types of useful utilities that once were so ubiquitous with the (now dying) Palm OS.

  • http://medicalcenter.osu.edu Monique

    At OSU, our College of Medicine was one of the first to supply all medical students with the iPod touch. The program was proposed by a third year and it’s gone very well.

  • http://podsod.blogspot.com Johan Austin

    Today the ipod touch and iphone are becoming so versatile that they can do almost anything, including medicine.

  • Ann Morris

    I am a critical care/ER nurse. I use a drug guide, a lab manual, a medical dictionary, ABG program and a diagnosis program. I love them, but what I think is most important – my patients love them.

    They don’t always see me searching for a med I haven’t given, or a diagnosis I’ve got to do teaching on, or correctly reading an ABG so I can tell my intern he/she needs to rethink their change in vent settings. They do, however, get the benefit from it.

    All of this information at my fingertips, put in terms my patient can understand, I don’t leave home without it. I’m constantly amazed at the technology we have to keep my patients alive, and I’m in awe of the technology we have to keep my patients informed.

    What a great day in age we live in!

  • http://www.r4cards.co.nz/ r4i

    It is very nice that now i-phone and i-pod touch to medical appliance. Thank you for this post it has very useful information.This article contain some meaningful information.please keep posting like this with this useful information

  • anubhavmittal

    You can now plan, sort, track and email your CME activities directly from you iPhone or iPod touch!

    http://www.stethostop.co.nz/iCME

  • M Rossi

    I'm excited to see apps emerge this year that help docs' decision making capabilities at the point of care – aka, those that ultimately improve the quality and accuracy of health care. Good way for health reform to get under way!

  • Cynthia Beachem

    I tried to find medical calculations in itunes and can't find it?

  • http://www.meistermed.com/ Andrew Schechtman, M.D.

    There are several medical calculators ranging from free on up. I bought several to find my favorite. My favorite ended up being Mediquations ($4.99). Check it out in the App Store.

  • http://www.meistermed.com/ Andrew Schechtman, M.D.

    There are several medical calculators ranging from free on up. I bought several to find my favorite. My favorite ended up being Mediquations ($4.99). Check it out in the App Store.

  • crtech

    Several medical iphone apps from Clinically Relevant Technologies:
    http://www.clinicallyrelevant.com

    CORE – Clinical ORthopaedic Exam
    Nearly 250 clinical tests for the physical exam of musculskeletal diagnosis. Includes written instructions, video demonstrations, and diagnostic properties for all tests (validity/reliability) with PUBMed referenced links

    Low Back Pain Clinical Management Guidelines
    Based on the ACP guidelines for the management of low back pain to include screening strategies, interactive algorithm, and evidence-weighted comparisons of common pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

  • Greg RN NY

    You are out of scope of nursing practice by interfereing with vents, ABGs etc..for that you have Respiratory practitioners(therapists), MDs, pulm fellows etc..don't get yourself in trouble; I've seen plenty of RNs get in trouble trying to be doctors (here in NYC that is)..an RN lost her license because she did an ABG (she is not allowed under scope of practice) paralyzing patient's hand. That's why we have MDs and respiratory..why get yourself in trouble. Peace. Greg RN.

  • C. SRNA

    That is well within the nursing scope of practice. As a nurse, you are the last line of defense before a possible inappropriate intervention is administered. It is your job to know the purpose and rationale of the treatment. It is not to just follow orders. You should know how to interpret ABG's and be aware of the vent adjustments necessary. Don't touch the vent, that is respiratorys job, but if they make a change that you do not agree with, ask for a rationale. Its not trying to be a doctor, its learning your practice so you can protect the patient.

  • Sharongottardi

    ai am an ARNP in family practice. and need more concise access to symptoms and diagnosis and tx options. worked well on epocrates essentials., but didn't transmit to I POD. anything similar out there. have been looking but they don't let you navigate through the apps to see if they are right for you before they buy.

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