In 2007, over 200,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Given the prevalence of this disease and the advances being made in therapeutic options, its important for all healthcare professionals to have some level of familiarity. An up-to-date, quick pocket reference would be a welcome addition to any young medical student or resident’s arsenal in particular.
Borm Bruckmeier Publishing’s products are well-known to us here at iMedicalApps, and this app is a continuation of the prior products, a quick app based on a series of pocketcards. Dr. Jed Katzel, a practicing hematologist/oncologist, was the author behind these lung cancer pocketcards. Read on to see if this app would be a useful addition to your iPhone.
The app opens to a quick view Table of Contents, many of which contain sub-topics unique to diagnosing and treating lung cancers – paraneoplastic syndromes, different histologic classifications, and chemotherapeutic regimens to name a few. The bottom of the screen again allows the user to jump between a homepage, the ToC, a Classic View, and browse other apps by the developers in Borm Bruckmeir (BB)
iTools.
The app is similar to other BB products, organized into mini-chapters and sections. However, this app is also presented more as a quick reference guide with charts and formulas that utilize the current standard of cancer care options, including chemotherapy selection.
There is also an option to use the app in the Classic View mode – The tables presented throughout the app are all condensed into 6 flashcards. Searching through the Classic view mode is tedious however and may not be the best use of this app.
The app draws directly from the pocketcards and is best used as a quick reference, as it is limited in the information that it presents.
There are continued formatting issues in the series, and the small screen of the iPhone also shrinks the images (which are slightly improved by the landscape mode or on the iPad’s screen).
Price:
- $3.99 from the AppStore
Likes:
- Quick-hit information
- Evidence-based studies of chemotherapy regimens cited
Dislikes:
- Limited information
- Formatting issues noted in other series are continued here
Conclusion:
- Best used as a quick reference guide by medical students and junior residents, but will not suffice for more advanced topics
- Priced similarly to the actual pocketcards
