When people say, “there is an app for everything,” that is nothing short of the truth. The medical industry has gone digital with the arrival of medical apps that help doctors diagnose on the go. Now this does not mean that your average Joe should download these apps and drop his HMO. My friend and social media community manager Justin Maas recently injured himself playing Frisbee (who does that?!) and is self-diagnosing his condition. Do I recommend this course of action? Absolutely not. What I do recommend is that you check out these medical apps and see just how efficient the medical field has gotten. Below are the best apps out of the bunch that I have seen:
DrawMD
Visible Health’s DrawMD is a free iPad app that lets physicians show patients exactly what a surgical or other procedure will entail. Conceived by surgical oncologists, it provides interactive diagrams in nine specialties, giving doctors visual tools to help explain complex medical and surgical procedures. This app is an incredible tool that all doctors should have. I feel that most times I end up in the emergency room, the doctor is speaking mandarin (there is an app for that too). Creating that connection might actually help calm patients down and let the doctor actually assist his patients.
Isabel App
Isabel Healthcare’s 10-year-old diagnosis decision-support system, (now available as an iPhone, iPad, and iPod app) helps doctors on the go. The checklist system lets physicians enter symptoms and search a database of over 6,000 disease presentations. Misdiagnosis is the worst thing that could occur in the doctor’s office. Having this app will not replace the doctor’s judgment but will definitely aid medical professionals in making the right diagnosis.
Mayo Clinic Patient App
No one wants to go to the Mayo Clinic facility when they have things to do. The Mayo Clinic Patient App provides patients with a range of tools to help them navigate the healthcare provider’s medical campuses and processes so that they don’t have to sit looking clueless.
This free iPhone and iPad app provides patients with secure access to their medical records, appointment schedules, and lab results. It provides maps of the medical facilities and directions to patients’ appointment venues and other facilities.
Apps like this prove to me that the medical industry listens to the patients. I feel that even though I strut like a tough guy when I get a paper cut, I can sleep at night knowing that the doctor I see has the right tools for the right job. No if only Justin will get his leg looked at; I think it might be broken.
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