In todays world, the use of medical phone apps have become a common occurrence to help facilitate patient care and workflows. Gone are the days where a provider would be required to carry 3-4 pocket books in their whitecoat. That being said, there are hundreds of medical phone apps readily available making the search for the most useful ones feel like a colossal effort. There are different medial apps used for different circumstances, but today we will discuss the 5 most useful regardless of category that most providers can use to benefit their practice. These are listed according to ranking with the first being most useful:
1. Epocrates
Almost everyone that has practice some form of medicine is familiar with this App. It is useful for on-the-fly dosing for prescription medications. It has a free version that use useful for most purposes but also has a paid version that includes additional functionality. This is a very useful app as a provider does not have to go through time consuming books or searches looking for dosing medication which saves time.
2. UpToDate
It is unlikely for a provider to know the most up to date information about every topic since most providers focus on the specialty they practice. It’s only a matter of time before they encounter a patient from an area of medicine that isn’t the providers best expertise. That is where UpToDate is useful. It provides quick access and reference to medically important topics and treatment recommendations based on current treatment protocols and research. This tool allows a provider to confidently come up with a workup and treatment plan based on the current best practices when a specialist or colleague is not available for consult.
This app can save some serious time in a busy clinic or hospital rounding environment. All those tricky medical criteria’s (PERC, Heart Score, and others) to help support medical decision making are present. There are also useful calculations such as sepsis, pediatric fluids, and NIH scoring to name a few. As you can see, this app can save a provider valuable time which can otherwise be spent with the patient or on their treatment.
For those looking for textbook like detail and thorough medical manuscript without carrying a massive book like Tintinalli’s 9th Edition or Netters Human Atlas of Anatomy, this app is your next stop. Unfortunately, it requires in-app purchases for the best experience and functionality. Despite this downside, the fee is just a drop in the bucket for a provider who can utilize this resource to help provide good patient care.
5. Rads Consult
No radiologist available and wonder if the CT Scan needs contrast? This app is useful for its evidence based practice data and guidance from everything involving imaging workup protocols to useful radiology images to reference. It is a great tool for a provider when there is no radiologist to consult and it contains trusted source information decreasing the providers time to decision making.
In Summary, the above above apps are a great mix of tools to help facilitate a providers workflow while providing patient care. Regular updates and enhancements have contributed to their success. In the future, they should continue to help benefit a provider and facilitate workflow while they perform patient care.
Disclaimer: The products listed above are intellecutal property of their respective owners.
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