Question

Post 2 online evidence-based resource tools or apps that health professionals could take advantage of. State their usefulness in 2 paragraphs.

Answer 1

Many applications are developed for a target audience of healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses and assistants. These applications are generally more sophisticated, with medical terminology and functions, and not easily navigable by non-health professionals. In a study published in 2012, a group of surveyed healthcare workers indicated the most popular categories of mobile applications functions include drug-referencing tools, clinical decision-support tools, communication, electronic health-record system access and medical education materials . The top applications were drug-reference guides such as ‘Epocrates’ and ‘Lexicomp’ , as well as clinical decision-support reference tools such as ‘UpToDate’ and ‘Medscape’.

The younger generation of technologically capable medical professionals in training, such as students and residents, harness the power of innovative apps to improve learning. The mobility of a smartphone or tablet allows students to carry a plethora of clinical resources in a convenient and searchable package. The flexibility of the mobile platform provides interactivity in teaching and a more personalised education. Given the high rate of mobile technology adoption among young clinicians, mobile applications display great potential to augment traditional training. For new trainee doctors, a mobile app, which functioned as a portable electronic library, provided a wealth of information when senior or attending physicians were not available and thus enhanced patient care . German physicians adapted the German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians practice guidelines into an easily accessible application for physicians and medical students . Flashcard and subject review applications, such as ‘Microbiology and Immunology Wiz’or ‘Lange Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Flash Cards’ , allow for portable and customisable education for medical students . When provided with access to smartphones, resident physicians in Botswana effectively utilised several point-of-care mobile applications in delivering healthcare in a resource-limited setting.