February 2010

Social Textbooks and the iPad – How the Medical Community Could Benefit from Dynamic E-books

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It’s probably not an exaggeration to predict medical students of the next decade will not lift a physical textbook. In fact, even ownership of a discrete entity, formerly referred to as a “textbook’, may be a historical footnote. Instead, students may simply rent the chapters they need for a particular course, paying a recurring subscription fee to the publisher for the period of usage. This system could foster innovation and allow for dynamic ebooks that change with standard of care, [Read more]

iPhone used to do actual chest compressions – ED physician demos Pocket CPR app – Innovative or Weird?

Thumbnail image for iPhone used to do actual chest compressions – ED physician demos Pocket CPR app – Innovative or Weird?

An ED physician from Croatia uses a free app, Pocket CPR, to deliver actual chest compressions.  He uses the built in iPhone accelerometer plus a custom designed cradle to deliver the compressions. I’m not sure if this functionality would actually be useful? We’d be interested to know what you think. Continue on to see the actual video.

iPhone Security Risks and How to Protect Your Data

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The iPhone and iPod Touch platforms have gained huge popularity with medical providers, with Epocrates saying over 100,000 physicians are actively using the medical reference app on their iPhone – and this was back in July of 2009. Many healthcare providers feel comfortable with the iPhone because of its fluid operating system, and the extra functionality it offers, in the form of games and a variety of other apps.  This added functionality is missing with more enterprise-based smart phones, such [Read more]

USMLE and MCAT apps from Kaplan and ScrollMotion set to arrive for the iPhone this month

Thumbnail image for USMLE and MCAT apps from Kaplan and ScrollMotion set to arrive for the iPhone this month

Today Kaplan Publishing and ScrollMotion announced they will be bringing an extensive suite of USMLE and MCAT apps to the iPhone, with hints of a broader use for the iPad.  Currently Kaplan has some USMLE apps already in the App Store, such as the USMLE Disease Deck, an app we weren’t too impressed with. However, these apps seem poised to bring a different user experience to medical and premed students because of their new partnership.  This partnership with ScrollMotion, the [Read more]

Epocrates Essentials App Review for the iPhone – Does the legendary medical app live up to the hype?

Thumbnail image for Epocrates Essentials App Review for the iPhone – Does the legendary medical app live up to the hype?

This is an in-depth review of the 4 different versions of Epocrates available for the iPhone and iPod Touch

AT&T’s Strained 3G Network, If not Improved, Will Limit the iPad’s Opportunities in the Medical Community – FCC voices concerns

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When I was handed my first pager, I was stunned. It looked like the beeper that Will Smith used to flash on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (and not even the later seasons, I’m talking about the early, crazy outfit seasons!). So I asked why I couldn’t simply use my phone or, for that matter, why we didn’t all use phones. The answer was simple – reliability. The paging system, of which this rather archaic looking item was part, [Read more]

Motion Computing – One of the iPad’s Competitors in the Medical Tablet World

Thumbnail image for Motion Computing – One of the iPad’s Competitors in the Medical Tablet World

When I first entered the clinical world, physician order entry and electronic medical records were just concepts to me. As I learned how to navigate the hospital, diagnose everything from the mundane to the incredibly rare (my first patient was a baby with an idiopathic subdural venous thrombosis), and figure out how to treat the sick, I also had to learn how to use those two systems as a prerequisite to doing everything else. The four hours of class didn’t [Read more]

Apple or Google? The Answer is Both – What the Future Holds for their Competing Mobile Platforms

Thumbnail image for Apple or Google? The Answer is Both – What the Future Holds for their Competing Mobile Platforms

Over the last few months, a great deal of time has been expended on the “hot competition” between Apple and Google in relation to smart phones. Much of this interest probably had to do with a partially imagined story of a once close friendship between Apple and Google, founded on their mutual enmity of Microsoft, now fractured on the rocks of competition and greed. While the truth probably isn’t as dramatic, whatever conflict exists is much less interesting than where [Read more]

Apple iPad and Electronic Medical Records – Could it Replace the Physician’s Clipboard?

Thumbnail image for Apple iPad and Electronic Medical Records – Could it Replace the Physician’s Clipboard?

Having had the opportunity to visit nearly a dozen academic medical centers in the past few weeks, I saw quite the spectrum of IT systems – from simple order entry to fully-integrated decision support systems. And for programs with the former, that revelation was quickly followed by the timeline for the coming upgrade. But what’s next for the most IT-savvy institutions? Well, Steve Jobs thinks he has an answer. Rumors abound that Apple is already pitching the iPad in LA-area [Read more]

Pocket First Aid & CPR App Used to Save Life – In Depth Look at App [App Review]

Thumbnail image for Pocket First Aid & CPR App Used to Save Life – In Depth Look at App [App Review]

This first aid app is produced in conjunction with the American Heart Association, the organization in charge of determining standard of care related to many acute health issues, such as CPR. We take an in depth look at this app, and highlight how it was actively used in the Haiti earthquake to survive critical injuries.

iPad Medical Textbooks (E-books) on the Way With Key Partnerships Announced: Why the Healthcare Community Should Be Excited

Thumbnail image for iPad Medical Textbooks (E-books) on the Way With Key Partnerships Announced: Why the Healthcare Community Should Be Excited

It was only a matter of time before partnerships between medical textbook publishers and the iPad development community emerged. One key partnership the Wall Street Journal just announced is between ScrollMotion (app developer) and McGraw-Hill’s Education division, with the purpose of developing e-books for the iPad.  And why does this matter? Because if you’re a medical professional, you most certainly have read or own a medical text from McGraw-Hill. McGraw-Hill is the publisher of Harrison’s Internal Medicine, Schwartz’s Principles of [Read more]

Free Useful iPhone Medical Apps [Recently Released] – Part Two

Thumbnail image for Free Useful iPhone Medical Apps [Recently Released] – Part Two

This is the second part in a series we’re doing on iMedicalApps. This review contains a Creatinine clearance app, History Taking app, and Asthma Tracking app.