One of the main uses for the iPhone and iPad has been to aid the learning and understanding of radiology images.
There are a range of fantastic apps that fit this category including Radiopedia, One Night in the ED and Diagnostic Radiology.
Now there is another app called Radiology Assistant which has been developed using information from the Radiological Society of the Netherlands designed for radiology residents and radiologists.
The app focuses on common radiological issues in a problem-oriented way and have written a number of articles which are peer reviewed and of high quality.
Basically, Radiology Assistant downloads articles from this site and stores them on your mobile.
Radiology Assistant opens with a fairly simple looking user interface allowing users to select articles of interest via anatomical region. Articles are downloaded from the Radiology Assistant website and stored locally on the device.
There is a helpful search function which regularly indexes the articles which are downloaded.
Selecting an article is a simple navigation through a menu system and there is a table of contents at the start of each section. These are hyper-linked so information can be quickly accessed or alternatively users can simply scroll down to the corresponding section.
There is also a further search function within each article which again helps the user find a specific piece of information. There was no option to bookmark articles for future reading and there was also no way to easily share or export the information included.
The real strength of this app is the quality of the content. Each article has a high level of detail and is well illustrated with a range of radiological images, tables and other information. The content is well written, concise and well referenced which reassures users about its accuracy.
Some users may find the text small and difficult to read and there is no option to adjust this. Tapping on most images, though, will cause them to increase in size allowing them to be examined more closely.
The user interface is something that could be improved with future updates as I found that generally the buttons to move between sections and return home were too small. The final potential improvement would be to increase the stability of this app. There were a number of times when it would quit spontaneously which was frustrating as I would often lose my place in the process.
Price
- $5.99
Likes
- Good selection of articles covering all the major anatomical regions with a high level of quality suitable for advanced trainees
- References supplied at the end of each article
- Articles are stored locally on the device
Dislikes
- Separate iPad and iPhone versions
- User interface buttons are small and often difficult to press
Healthcare providers that would benefit from the app
- Radiology residents and trainees
- Trainees and medical students.
Conclusion
- The Radiology Assistant is a fantastic website for clinicians to refer too. The mobile app brings all the utility of this website in a portable form. However, stability and user interface issues make this less accessible.
iMedicalApps recommended?
- Website-Yes,
- App – No (until future updates make it easier to use and more stable)
Rating: (1 to 5 stars): 2.75/5
- User interface – 2
- Multimedia usage – 2
- Price – 3
- Real world applicability – 4
Disclaimer:
This post does not establish, nor is it intended to establish, a patient physician relationship with anyone. It does not substitute for professional advice, and does not substitute for an in-person evaluation with your health care provider. It does not provide the definitive statement on the subject addressed. Before using these apps please consult with your own physician or health care provider as to the apps validity and accuracy as this post is not intended to affirm the validity or accuracy of the apps in question. The app(s) mentioned in this post should not be used without discussing the app first with your health care provider.
