Epocrates Essentials Deluxe – $199 per year – Key Features:
- Includes all the above features PLUS:
- ICD-9 codes and CPT codes – I don’t have the Deluxe version of this application so can’t accurately comment on this. Per the Epocrates website, you can look up more than 20,000 of these medical billing codes. The search function allows you to find codes based on diagnosis, procedure, or by category. The below picture is from the billing codes provided in the Lab Section. In the Essentials Deluxe version these codes can be searched directly.
- Medical Dictionary – This dictionary comes from Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
What I liked:
- Massive amount of information from a reputed source in the mobile medical field.
- Epocrates Rx version – contains a great set of tools for free – Drug Interactions, Pill Identifier, Drug Info, MedMath.
- Overall User Interface is clean and quick, allowing you to quickly look up information at the point of care.
- ID treatment guide contains succinct information on treatment options.
- Disease Monographs contain evidence based data, along with references. Contain linear information, allowing you to formulate a differential, helping you diagnose, and then giving treatment options.
- Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests: Contains a massive amount of information, aiding you in your differential diagnosis, and offering pertinent follow up studies to confirm or eliminate suspected differentials.
- You have the ability to login to your account online and edit the formularies by State and particular insurance. The next time Epocrates loads on your iPhone, your new formularies load as well. You can even add $4 Walmart prescriptions! Below is a screen clipping from the webpage that allows you to edit formularies.
What I didn’t like so much, and what could be improved upon:
- A minor user interface gripe – If in search mode, and you make your selection, when you tap “back” you lose what you typed in.
- Although search feature was robust, some sort of “did you mean” feature, akin to what Google tells you when you spell something wrong would be nice. Abbreviations need to be recognized as well. When I type in HCTZ, nothing shows up until I type out hydrochlorothiazide.
- High resolution pictures – only available if you have a dedicated internet connection. Since pictures are being pulled from an outside server, it would have been nice to see more of them. Melanoma topic has only 6 pictures – and two of them are pathology slides.
- Alternative medicine section is a nice touch, and definitely needed since their use among patients is increasing. But it would have been nice to have some brief literature connected to those medications. There are many studies in progress right now and some that just finished up that could help with clinical decision making when it comes to alternative/complementary medicine use. Also, Many of my Hispanic patients are the ones using these medicines, this might be a stretch – but it would have been great if the alternative medicines were available in Spanish as well.
Conclusion:
This exhaustive review shows why Epocrates is considered the top mobile medical application, and arguably the best iphone medical application. This medical app has a great decision support system and has grown to include more evidence based data, at times rivaling UpToDate.
Epocrates gives health care providers four versions of its medical suite with 4 distinct price points. For medical students and PA students, you should consult your school to see if any discounts are offered. Otherwise, if you’re cash strapped, as most are, staying with the free version should be okay for you.
However, if you’re a resident, PA, or physician then the premium versions of Epocrates are a must. Deciding between the three premium versions is difficult, but I’d recommend the Epocrates Essentials version. The Disease monographs and Lab tests section alone are worth the extra $60 a year. The Epocrates Essentials Deluxe version costs $40 more a year and includes billing codes (ICD-9/CPT) and a medical dictionary. If you don’t have an automated billing system via electronic medical records, than the Deluxe version might be a good buy, otherwise I’d stick with Epocrates Essentials.
Although I’ve talked in detail about the features and contents provided in the premium versions of Epocrates, I can’t overstate the overall user experience with this app. Many medical reference apps have tried to emulate the content provided by Epocrates, and have succeeded, but Epocrates wins with its robust user interface and navigation – making it a breeze to use quickly when making point of care decisions.
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the ability to customize formularies seems like a really nice touch, didn’t even know you could do this. will definitely customize my list now
Tom, that level of customization is definitely a plus, and as you can see from the screen shot I included, there are a lot of formularies, broken down by your location, that you can select. For me, the wal-mart list is the most useful.
is this available on I pad?