The first ECG interpretation guide and reference manual for the iPhone is now available, aptly titled “The ECG Guide”.
As of Jan 4, 2009, this app is number 2* in the US App store and number 1* in the Canadian App store.
ECG Guide for iPhone
Unsolicited comments include:
“This is a must have application for doctors, residents and medical students. I can now get rid of all the EKG cards I carry in my coat pocket. It is like having an entire EKG book with me at all times. It covers all the aspects of the normal and abnormal EKG’s in an organized and simple interface. Whoever designed this application put a lot of thought and time into it.”
“Well worth the price.”
“…this is a 5 star application”
Key features:
Clear descriptions of both common and complex EKG findings
Sample ECGs for easy reference and visual learning
Flip your iPhone on its side for optimal ECG visualization
Review etiology and differential diagnoses of EKG findings
The move to give patients control over their own personal health records is advancing. At My Life Record, patients are able to create an electronic, immutable copy of their health record. This record can then be accessed from iPhone or iPod, and shared with any physician.
Medical software for the iPhone continues to be released at an amazing rate.
The most popular free app for the iPhone continues to be Epocrates’ free drug reference tool. From the company website:
The free Epocrates Rx software for iPhone OS puts continually updated peer-reviewed drug information at your fingertips. Epocrates information has been shown to:
Improve patient care and safety
Save time
Reduce administrative burden
Enable confident clinical decisions
Epocrates for iPhone
There are now a selection of medical calculators, several of which have been compared at Medical iPhone. Most recently, QxMD has released medical calculators designed by specialists that focus on specific areas of medicine. These tools had previously only been available for the BlackBerry. Cardio Calc is a Cardiology app designed for anyone - not just Cardiologists – managing patients with cardiovascular disease or hyperlipidemia.
Determine cardiovascular risk and guide lipid treatment using the Framingham and Reynolds Risk Scores
Use the CHADS2 score to guide treatment in atrial fibrillation
Better understand the risk of bleeding from anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation
Will your patient benefit from a stress test? Calculate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease.
Determine prognosis in heart failure using the Seattle heart failure model, Forrester heart failure class and Stevenson heart failure class.
Diagnose Infective Endocarditis
Determine predicted mortality (EuroSCORE Logistic) and risk of dialysis with cardiovascular surgery.
Use the TIMI risk score in ACS to help guide treatment
Calculate ideal body weight, BMI and BSA.
Review classification of angina (CCS) and congestive heart failure (NYHA functional class)
Nephro Calc is a Nephrology app designed for anyone - not just Nephrologists – managing patients with renal disease or electrolyte disorders.
Determine the risk of your patient requiring dialysis after angiography or cardiovascular surgery
Calculate creatine clearance based on a 24 hour urine collection or estimate GFR with estimation formulas
Calculate the water deficit for your patient with hypernatremia
Determine if your patient is volume contracted - calculate fractional excretion of sodium or fractional excretion of urea (for patients on diuretics)
Calculate anion gap and osmolal gap
Calculate URR and Kt/V for your dialysis patients
Calculate the risk of progression of membranous nephropathy
Estimate GFR with Cockcroft-Gault, MDRD, and the more recent Mayo Quadratic formula
Calculate TTKG (transtubular potassium gradient) in hypokalemia and hyperkalemia
Use the Henderson-Hasselbach equation to work out acid-base cases
Expect to see QxMD software being converted to iPhone compatible versions. iPhone users, come back to this blog to find out when you’ll be able to get free Cardiology, Nephrology, Hematology and Gastroenterology programs as well as a Pregnancy Wheel.
PageSync makes your BlackBerry smartphone work like two units in one with paging, data, and e-mail service on a single, compact device. Retain the familiar experience of paging and send messages the same way you send pages.
WinScribe’s Latest Digital Dictation Software Adds Extended Functionality and Compatibility to Healthcare Workflow Management
From the Winscribe.com website:
“WinScribe, the market innovator in digital dictation, transcription, and workflow management solutions, is pleased to announce that WinScribe Version 3.8, the latest release of their award winning digital dictation and workflow management software suite will be available for demonstrations and trials during the MEDICA 08 exhibition from 19th to 22nd November 2008. This latest release includes extended workflow functionality as well as an enhanced Mobility suite and an increased compatibility range across importers, Citrix and Terminal Services.
WinScribe v3.8 takes workflow management to another level, with automatic job routing, e.g. dictations that have not been completed during normal working hours can be sent to another chosen dept/location for typing. With WinScribe v3.8, the author now also benefits from alerts that advise when the author’s preferred typist or secretary is unavailable due to absence. This functionality allows the author to route the jobs more efficiently for an even better document turnaround time and business performance.”
Life:WIRE™ is focused on a simple and cost-effective solution for individuals to proactively manage their disease and health conditions through use of a standard, off-the-shelf cellphone as an interactive health management tool.
Life:WIRE™’s patent pending, industry-leading technology easily conforms to the patient’s lifestyle. Life:WIRE™ helps build positive health management habits with interactive reinforcement through a users cellphone; by sending reminders and allowing users to log their specific data remotely.
As of October 2008, Life:WIRE announces that their commercialization efforts are proceeding well. They have recently announced agreements with Action Healthcare Management and CPM Health Centres Inc (CPM) to provide mobile interaction with their patients.
This BlackBerry based ICD9-CM Coder is designed for primary care providers who require a simple tool to look up frequently used ICD9 codes. It has been updated to reflect changes that take effect Oct. 1, 2008 and is developed using the American Academy of Family Physician’s “long list” of commonly used ICD9 codes. The list replaces ICD-9 descriptors with problem-oriented descriptors of conditions common in family practice.
The ICD-9-CM list has been compiled by Philip S. Whitecar, MD, of the Department of Family Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, Donald Spencer, MD, MBA, and Allen Daugird, MD, MBA, of the Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Content is adapted with permission from ‘ICD-9 Coding Tools for 2008/2009,’ August 2008, Family Practice Management.
QxMD Cardiology is a free BlackBerry clinical calculator now available for download. QxMD Cardiology is compiled by Dr. Jason Andrade and is designed for cardiologists, internists, ER physicians, primary care physicians and trainees who see patients with cardiac disease.
