DynaMed Plus app review, UpToDate gets put on notice

Similar to the Dynamed Mobile app, Dynamed Plus gives a general treatment overview for a particular topic first then the more you drill down, the more specific the information. The summaries of particular treatments for alcohol withdrawal include studies and review articles just published and not easily found in other point of care references. Furthermore, the richness of detail (numbers needed to treat, absolute risk reduction) is refreshing to see.

My main complaint with Dynamed continues with Dynamed Plus. Once you select treatment for alcohol withdrawal you get ALL treatments without any ability to just select drug treatments vs. non-drug treatments. This is a big oversight compared with other references such as UpToDate. It is easy to get lost, especially for more complex topics such as congestive heart failure. Dynamed Plus must fix this flaw.

The app has several other helpful functions including the ability to see each reference in Pubmed by simply clicking on it; the ability to read, print, email patient handouts on a variety of topics; and the ability to easily jump from one topic to another. All of these functions work via instant hyperlinks.

One of the other big additions with Dynamed Plus is integration with Micromedex. Long a favorite here at iMedicalapps, Micromedex is an outstanding unbiased source of drug information. Similar to the integration, UpToDate has with Lexicomp, Dynamed Plus with Micromedex information allows the user to simply search for drug information from the main screen or jump to Micromedex information from within a topic.

With our complicated ward patient with cirrhosis and acute alcohol withdrawal, the app performed admirably. I could find answers to all of my clinical questions and teaching pearls for the residents easily. I was able to print a patient handout for the patient’s son and email the resident an article for his morning report presentation.

How to use the app in clinical practice

The app can be used anywhere and on the surface is easier to use now than Dynamed Mobile. Primarily, the app can be used as a medical reference in clinic, on the wards, morning report, rounds, etc. Finding answers takes mere seconds with this latest update, but it still lacks the ability to sort through the treatments available for complex topics such as CHF.

Evidence based medicine
Dynamed Plus remains one of the most evidence based apps available for medical providers. Dynamed Plus now boasts a list of even more subspecialty content from Allergy to Hematology to Urology. Despite this claim, I could not find anything describing if more topics are included in Dynamed Plus compared to Dynamed. I like it, but some will still find it too narrowly focused.