SCALE HIV is an app that allows clinicians to manage virtual HIV patients and gives them access to real resources. The app was the result of collaboration between the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing, the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM), and DKBmed, LLC.
It was created to enable healthcare professionals to improve their ability to identify, counsel, and refer HIV patients. SCALE HIV is available on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch platforms.
The app provides up-to-date information to clinicians such as CDC recommendations and methods for patient counseling. Most notably, the app provides access to the AAHIVM ReferalLink Database; the first time the database has been accessible on a mobile platform. This database provides local information regarding HIV specialists that can be filtered by services provided and payment options.
The CDC points out that there is a significant difference between their screening recommendations and reality. Far too few patients are being screened for HIV. When patients are screened, HIV-positive patients are not sufficiently being counseled due to a lack of training, experience, or access to resources for clinicians.
Apps like SCALE HIV are a low cost method that can bridge these kinds of gaps in the practical healthcare world. For this type of problem, clinicians may not need high level training to improve their abilities. Large problems can be solved by providing clinicians with simple tools that provide basic knowledge and a database of specialists for when they are needed.
Sources: SCALE HIV, AAHIVM, Sacramento Bee
