EXTENSION Mobile for physicians and nurses

EXTENSION Mobile is a user-friendly application that allows physicians, nurses and other clinical staff members to stay connected to each other and to your patients from any location. Our mobile solution advances patient care as it allows caregivers to effortlessly send and receive critical alerts and other notifications on your Apple iPhone. Automated communication among stakeholders providing treatment is integral to improved patient outcomes and overall patient and staff satisfaction. Stay connected with EXTENSION Mobile.

EXTENSION offers a full suite of solutions including EXTENSION® HealthAlert for Nurses and EXTENSION® HealthAlert for Physicians. Both pre-packaged solutions provide context-aware clinical alerting to various endpoints including the Apple iPhone. See below for a list of key features included in each solution package.

Learn more here.

Speed differences: Verizon USB tethering vs. 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot

I have a Motorola Droid X and I've been using the 3G Wi-Fi mobile hotspot feature so that I can get online with my laptop and my iPad. In the past, I used to tether using the USB cable.

Well, I did a speed test because I was convinced that 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot was slower than USB tethering. Sure enough, with 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot, I was experiencing download speeds of 0.5 Mbps. With USB tethering, the speeds were almost 3x faster! 1.3 Mbps.

Are you experiencing similar results?

iStudiez Pro for medical students (iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch)

If you're a medical student, you may want to think about using iStudiez Pro as you study for your exams. This is a great tool that can help you leverage mobile technology as you're going through medical school. iStudiez can help you organize your schedule, keep up with homework and assignments, and stay on top of your grades.

If you're on a tight budget, then you can get iStudiez Lite for free.

You can learn about iStudiez here.

A mixed experience using the Droid X as a 3G Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot

I've been using my Motorola Droid X as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The extra $20/month service fee is worth it if you'll be traveling and if you need to connect up to 4 devices to the Verizon Wireless 3G network.

Overall, the 3G Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot feature works fairly well, as long as you have a strong signal to the Verizon network. I've been relatively happy. occasionally, I've found the service to stop, even when I have a strong signal, so I'm not entirely sure why that's been happening. I'll have to do a few more tests to determine how frequently that's happening.

Plus, I'm also finding that the connection speed may slow down. When I restart the 3G mobile hotspot feature, then the connection speed resets back to normal.

The 3G mobile hotspot feature will drain your battery relatively quickly, so be prepared with an extended battery or an external battery pack. I'm using a Tekkeon battery pack that can charge my Droid X or my Apple iPad, so I've got plenty of battery power.

Research on Smartphone Readiness in Hospitals

Voalté Releases Research on Smartphone Readiness in Hospitals
Healthcare industry is among the fastest growing handheld device markets

SARASOTA, Fla. Jan. 26, 2011
– Voalté, a leading developer of innovative point-of-care communications software on the iPhone and BlackBerry smartphone devices, has announced the release of a new white paper, ‘The Smartphone Tsunami- Will Your Hospital Sink or Swim?” The white paper is designed to assist hospital leadership in defining a mobile strategy and workflow guidelines for smartphone usage – from setting the strategic vision to managing devices.

According to the report, “Hospitals must first conduct a site assessment in which all stakeholders are interviewed and issues are discussed to help formulate a comprehensive mobility strategy. Pilots and proofs of concept help test new technology and the perceived impact on clinical workflow. After the initial site assessment, a deeper dive needs to focus on the hospital’s infrastructure to address both the physical and digital landscape.”

The paper covers the following elements of creating a mobility strategy:

* Clinical site assessment
* Pilots and new technologies
* Staying agile
* Training and support
* Preparing the infrastructure
* Device and network security
* Alarm and device management
* Aligning workflows

To download the entire white paper, please visit: http://bit.ly/fqi8H9.

A new iPhone medical peripheral spotted - the DermScope

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

We've seen iPhone blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and EKG devices.  So it's really no surprise that more portable medical devices are surfacing.  Now we have a new device to get excited about.

The DermScope was just added to the iTunes medical apps directory.  It's an external iphone case that has a dermatoscope embedded into the case.  Essentially, you slip your iphone into the case and it transforms your iphone into a magnifying glass for moles and other skin lesions.  You can capture images, store them, organize them by patient, and email images directly from the application.

So far, the app costs 9.99 in the iTunes store.  No word on how much the hardware will cost.  There is currently an international iphone dermatoscope retailing for $1500 dollars.  But it would be a bad idea to price it that high in the US considering that the other iphone medical peripherals are only around $100 dollars.

We'll update this post when we find out more information.  What do you think will be the next iphone medical device?

Author:

Dr. Thuc Huynh is CEO of ScrubdIN, a startup company that aims to help health professionals choose their next medical app.  Her main interest lies around how medicine can play a role with web 2.0 and social media.  Dr. Huynh is currently Chief Resident at her Family Medicine Residency in Rapid City, SD and received her B.S. and M.D. at the Medical University of the Americas.

STATworkUP for iPhone and iPad

Clinical decision support or CDS is a popular phrase these days. Physicians are implementing electronic health records and using computers in their clinical practice. They have access to a wealth of clinical data through the Internet, so they should be making better clinical decisions if they're tapping into this wealth of information, right? Those who are applying the latest evidence are treating patients using true evidence-based principles.

STATworkUP is a clinical decision support tool that's available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Here's some information about this app:

• Designed exclusively for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to bring an exceptional user experience to health care providers and students.
• STATworkUP integrates Problems, Tests, Disorders and Remedies to help evaluate complex issues.
• This application contains a collection of evidence-based facts and associations that may be useful for quick review of many details that can help to guide problem assessments.

You can learn about STATworkUP  here: http://www.iatrocom.org/

American Board of Family Medicine updates the iPhone Exam Prep app

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

The ABFM just released a new update for its free Exam Prep app.  The app is a good, supplemental, portable study tool for physicians preparing for Board Certification in Family Medicine.  Medical students and residents may find use in these interesting questions as well.

The latest update adds 200 additional questions to the Q-Bank as well as a blueprint that outlines all of the content covered in the exam.

Other features of the app remain the same and include :

• Practice Quizzes with clear answers
• Exam Prep documents and videos
• Upcoming exam dates
• Links to the ABFM website
• Links to the Journal of ABFM 

Using the practice quizzes will not require an internet connection but accessing the videos and exam dates will.

If you're preparing for the Family Medicine Boards or if you just want to test your general clinical knowledge, try this app for free.

Using my Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for my iPad

Since I'm on the Verizon Network, I got an iPad that only has Wi-Fi access. Fortunately, I can use my Motorola Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot so that I can get online with my iPad when I'm out and about. It's a great feature and it allows me to use my iPad without a separate 3G hotspot like the MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot.

I'll probably need to invest in an extended battery for my Droid X if I plan to use it as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for extended periods of time. Tethering via Wi-Fi will drain your battery quickly!

To use your Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot, click on the green icon that says "3G Mobile Hotspot" and make sure that you have this feature enabled on your service plan.  It's an extra $20/month.

Listen to Heart Sounds with Your iPhone!

Author: Brittany Chan

There's been tremendous hype about the new blood pressure cuff for iPhone. What if you could also use your iPhone to listen for abdominal gurgles, wheezes, or even the heartbeat of your unborn child?

The iStethoscope Expert app makes this possible, and best of all, it's free! You can use your device's microphone to listen for heart, lung, and bowel sounds. The app has a built-in noise canceler that will help amplify the sound of interest. If your device does not have a microphone, or if you'd simply like to enhance the sound, you may purchase the CardioTech electronic stethoscope peripheral by Zetris for $24.99.

Notable features of this app include:
- Guides to heart, lung, and bowel sounds, including phonocardiograms, audio demonstrations and text explanations.
- Sound interpreters that help determine the underlying pathology of an abnormal sound.
- Stethoscope sound library including over 60 sounds.
- Hear fetal heart sounds at 20 weeks.
- Record, send, and save sounds for review.

Blausen Human Atlas for Android

Here's some information about the Blausen Human Atlas:

The Blausen Human Atlas combines 3D medical animations with a cross searchable medical term glossary and detailed still images. For doctors, nurses, students and consumer caregivers, this is the ideal resource for communicating core concepts, right in the palm of your hand and right at point of care.

This app is now available for Android. 

You can learn more here.

Voalté’s iPhone-based Solution Speeds Clinical Communication at Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital becomes first pediatric hospital in the nation to harness Voalté at the point of care

SARASOTA, Fla. January 18, 2011 – Voalté announced today that Texas Children’s Hospital will become the first pediatric facility in the country and the first hospital in Texas to use iPhones with Voalté’s innovative solution for point-of-care communication. The hospital will roll out iPhones in the new West Campus facility and maternity center over the next few months.

The Voalté application consolidates voice, alarm and text on the versatile iPhone platform. Nurses and clinicians at Texas Children’s Hospital will be able to send and receive presence-based text messages, make high definition voice calls across the hospital VoIP system, and receive critical care alarms on the iPhone, providing faster response to patient needs.

Epocrates Contact Manufacturer

Epocrates has added a new feature called "Contact Manufacturer." Here's what it's about: 

The Epocrates®Contact Manufacturer feature now puts you in direct contact with live medical specialists for over 90 pharmaceutical products!

As the #1 mobile drug reference, Epocrates® Essentials is present when and where you need it. As an added feature in our drug reference, we offer Epocrates Contact Manufacturer. It connects you to a manufacturer's medical specialist right away, bringing you rapid and tailored scientific responses to your medical questions.

Here's how you do it:
1. Launch the Epocrates app
2. Tap the "More" icon and select "Contact Drug Manufacturer"
3. Select a drug from the list
4. Tap the phone button, or the email button if available

If Contact Drug Manufacturer doesn't appear, tap on the "More" tab and select "Updates" to get the latest Epocrates content, including this new feature.

Once you have the current version, you may also find it within a drug monograph by selecting "Contact [Manufacturer Name]" on the main page of the monograph. Please note that this feature is not available for every drug.

MedicalSmartphones.com quoted in the media in 2010

In 2010, I had the opportunity to speak with reporters about smartphones, mobile health, and medical apps for smartphones.

Here are a few of those 2010 stories:

This year, I've already been quoted in the Wall Street Journal (here). I love writing about mobile health and I also enjoy speaking about this topic. As the mHealth industry gains more traction, I look forward to contributing to some additional stories this year. 

Order refills using your smartphone camera - Walgreens Mobile app

Walgreens Mobile has a nice Mobile App titled, "Walgreens." This app uses the camera on your smartphone so that you can order refills with Express Refills by Scan. Here are some of the features:

Express Refills by Scan*
Point. Scan. Pick up.
Capture a prescription bar code from your phone and we'll have your refill ready to pick up.

Pharmacy
Refill prescriptions from your account history or simply by entering your prescription number. Get a text alert when your prescription is ready for pickup.

Flu Shot & Store Locator
Trying to find a flu shot? Our flu shot locator will help you find the closest Walgreens or Take Care ClinicSM.

WellComm Releases App-Based Open System Enabling SmartPhone Connectivity to Digital Health and Wellness Resources

WellComm provides the first gateway of connectivity, communication and data sharing with thousands of previously siloed health and wellness apps, as well as, the essential conduit to personal electronic health record systems. WellComm makes real the promise of mHealth by establishing an open mHealth framework that provides the Key of connectivity & functionality for app-to-app communication to and with, existing flexible electronic record programs such as OpenMRS and Google Health.

San Diego, CA, Jan 12, 2011 - WellComm™ is an open system of components that transforms the SmartPhone into a personal health and wellness hub. The hub begins with the WellComm Application (“app”) placed on an individual’s iPhone, iPad, or other device. This app serves as the individual’s personal health and wellness dashboard. The WellComm dashboard contains, manages and connects personally identified health and wellness apps & resources for the individual.

The WellComm App, released at no cost, is a paradigm changing, gateway app. WellComm’s innovation is that it works with ALL existing resources. Its open architecture connects the patchwork of incompatible apps with other apps and with electronic and personal health records (HER and PHRs). The WellComm system does not force the replacement or change of existing systems or technology, but instead enables these disparate, siloed systems & resources to work together. WellComm can be used by Healthcare Professionals, Caregivers, Researchers and Individuals to advance and extend health and wellness.

I'm Sorry Verizon iPhone, you're about 6 months too late for me

Author: Ellen Kim, MD

I'm a Mac user. My husband uses a PC.

For many years, I was also a loyal Palm OS user. I had a Sony Clie. Then, I became a loyal Windows Mobile user. I had a Compaq iPad. I also had a Palm Treo running Windows Mobile. I had a Samsung smartphone running Windows Mobile.

About 6 months ago, I switched to a Droid Incredible because my entire family is on the Verizon Wireless network. If the Apple iPhone was available 6 months ago, I would have gotten that one. Now, I've gotten very comfortable with the Google Android OS and I'm not eligible for a smartphone upgrade for another 2 years.

Rauland-Borg Partners with Voalté to Bring Nurse Call to iPhones

Partnership enables patient call alerts to transfer directly to nurse’s iPhone for faster response

Sarasota, Fla. January 11, 2011 – Rauland-Borg Corporation, a pioneer in the development of Nurse Call solutions, today announced its strategic partnership with Voalté, a leading developer of innovative point-of-care communications software on the iPhone and other smartphone platforms. The nurse call to iPhone integration will enable patient calls from Rauland-Borg’s Responder 5 Nurse Call system to connect directly to the caregiver’s Voalté-enabled iPhone.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Voalté and offer the first integration from our Nurse Call system to the Apple iPhone,” said Maureen Pajerski, vice president of sales and marketing at Rauland. “This new technology will help advance communications within hospitals and help expand business opportunities for both of our corporations within the healthcare industry.”

The Verizon iPhone - is it too late?

Verizon will be revealing the Apple iPhone today. Is it too late? We now have so many users using the Droid (Android OS) and a number of users using the Palm Pre (webOS). Will BlackBerry and Android users on the Verizon network switch to the iPhone? Will AT&T customers move to Verizon in hopes of getting better reception and fewer dropped calls?

My wife had been waiting for a Verizon iPhone for several years. Last year, she went with the HTC Droid Incredible. She's fairly happy with that phone and she mainly uses Epocrates, email, and Google Voice.

The world has been waiting for the Verizon iPhone, but I wonder if it's a year too late for many people.

EXTENSION Mobile for Enterprise Healthcare Organizations

EXTENSION Mobile for Enterprise Healthcare Organizations Now Available on Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Via Apple AppStore

EXTENSION, INC.'s real-time clinical alerting solutions now available on Apple iPhone and iPod Touch devices

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - January 10, 2011--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EXTENSION, INC. announced today that the EXTENSION Mobile app for EXTENSION® HealthAlert™ for Nurses and HealthAlert™ for Physicians has been approved and is now available on the Apple AppStore. The affordable bundled packages offer real-time clinical workflow communication solutions for enterprise healthcare organizations and more expressly, for physicians and nurses on their Apple iPhone or iPod Touch.

The EXTENSION Mobile app and demo for the iPhone and iPod Touch are available for free download via the Apple AppStore so that organizations can get first-hand knowledge of the capabilities of the solutions without making a substantial investment.

Steve Tyler, EXTENSION's Chief Technology Officer, noted, "The EXTENSION vision has always been about enabling context-aware communication on the users preferred device. The Apple iPhone and iPod Touch have had a huge impact on mobile communication and mobile access to data and so it made great sense to provide that clinical context-awareness on the Apple devices."

AirPrint: Wireless printing, right from your iPhone, iPod, or iPad

AirPrint makes it simple to print your email, photos, web pages, and documents from your iPhone, your iPod touch, or your iPad. There’s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect. With just a few taps on your iPhone, you can go from viewing something onscreen to holding a printed copy. And because all the printing takes place in the background, there’s no waiting around. Instead, you can start printing and then go back to flicking through photos, surfing the web, or doing whatever you were doing before.

“No cables required” means exactly that. AirPrint printing is 100 percent wireless. iPhone automatically locates and connects to AirPrint-enabled printers on your wireless network. Whether you’re on the other side of the house or on another floor from your printer — or you’re walking from one room to the next — you can still print what you need, when you need it. In fact, it’s all so easy and fast that by the time you finish reading this sentence, you could have printed it from your iPhone.

Free Lexi-COMPLETE for AMSA members (medical students)

Limited time offer for AMSA members!
Ends January 15

Download Lexi-COMPLETE™ for your mobile device and enjoy 6 months FREE!

Comprehensive and easy-to-use, Lexi-COMPLETE – our top-rated package for smartphones/PDAs – provides medical students like you mobile access to the most trusted drug information on the market.

Plus, unlike our competitors’ content, our information is unbiased and pharma-free!

Here are just a few of the benefits medical students love about Lexi-COMPLETE:

* Unbiased, pharma-free medical reference
* User-friendly, intuitive interface
* Information on pharmacology of drugs
* More comprehensive and accurate than free resources

Learn more here.

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy (for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry)

This is a great app for first-year medical students. Why didn't I have this when I was in medical school?

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy is the most revered and best-selling anatomy atlas in the English language.

Available on: iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Palm and more...

Author(s): Frank H. Netter, MD

Key Features

* Over 532 detailed drawings that allow you to learn structures with confidence
* With Skyscape Hotspots, you can tap on spots pointing to various parts of an image and get help identifying the structures shown
* New radiographs, computed tomographic (CT) images, CT angiograms, and magnetic resonance (MR) images

Learn more here.

New 4G Motorola Android smartphones revealed at CES

I recently upgraded to a Droid X knowing that Verizon was releasing 4G smartphones in 2011. Here are some 4G smartphones that are being announced this week at CES:

• Motorola Atrix 4G for AT&T
• Motorola Droid Bionic for Verizon

We also shouldn't forget about the Motorola Xoom, the 10" Android slate tablet.

Are you following all the exciting news from CES?

A Blood Pressure cuff is the latest in medical attachments for the iPhone

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

We recently wrote about the launch of the iPhonECG, a portable cardiac event monitor.

Shortly after their launch, more iPhone medical attachments have surfaced.  On the same day, two companies have released a blood pressure cuff that attaches to the bottom pin connectors of the iPhone and comes with a custom app that reads and monitors the results.

Withings is a Paris-based company that develops health-related connected devices.  You might have heard of their first product, the first WiFi Body scale that transmits results to your iphone and creates graphs of your progress.  Now, they've created a Blood Pressure Monitor.  It is a pretty slick looking blood pressure cuff.  You attach it to your iphone and using their app, you can record your BP measurements.  The app will upload results to your Google Health book or to an online, secured, personal site.   It also supports social media functions such as tweeting your BP to twitter.  The device will cost $130 dollars and expects to ship this month.

iHealth is a startup company based in Mountain View, California.  They've also released a blood pressure monitoring device.  What's different from Withings is that their blood pressure cuff attaches to an iPhone Dock.  Their iPhone App also has graphing capabilities and sharing via email.  iHealth is less expensive then Witherings, costing $99.95.

Both products will be showcasing at the Consumer Electronics show.  I will blog live from the event and post my findings here on Medical Smartphones.

This is posing to be a great trend in medical smartphone technology.  First, there was the iPhone glucometer, then an iPhone EKG, now an iPhone BP cuff.  What's next?

The iPhone ECG is the newest in point-of-care mobile health technology

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD


The iPhone ECG is a device that attaches to your iPhone like a protective case. On the back of the device are two electrodes that will be able to detect a patient’s cardiac rhythm.

The news was first broke by 3GDoctor and shows several photos of the device.

It’s a portable cardiac monitoring device. The iPhone ECG has the ability to detect and display one lead. It also has recording capabilities.

There is not a lot of information about the device at this time. However, I have an exclusive interview with Dr. David Albert at the Digital Health Summit next weekend. He is the man behind the concept of the iPhone ECG.

Save $30 on PEPID which will continue to support Palm Devices (webOS)

As a reader of MedicalSmartphones.com, you have the opportunity to save $30 on all 1-year platinum subscriptions to PEPID.

Use the promo code SWITCH1.

Here are also a few snippets from a recent PEPID press release:

PEPID® Will Continue to Support Palm Devices

Phoenix, AZ — January 4, 2011 — PEPID, the leading developer of clinical decision-support information and technology for doctors and nurses, announced today they will continue add new features and support all Palm devices.

“We are committed to making PEPID available for every device and operating system on the market,” says John Wagner, president. “Healthcare professionals can choose any device they prefer and be confident that PEPID will always be available.”

Dr. Joseph Kim quoted in a MarketWatch article

I had the opportunity to speak with a reporter who was writing a MarketWatch.com article about smartphones and medical apps. The article is titled, "Five smartphone apps for caregivers." You can read it here.

A shorter version of the story is also available on the Wall Street Journal and you can read that here. 

Will Epocrates support Windows Phone 7 this year?

As we enter the New Year, one of my first questions is: Will Epocrates support Windows Phone 7 this year? Currently, Epocrates is available for smartphones running Windows Phone 6.5. They have not announced any formal plans to support Windows Phone 7.

Given that Windows Phone 7 is an entirely new operating system, apps developed for older Windows Mobile devices will need to be completely recreated to run on Windows Phone 7. I suppose we saw a similar example with the original Palm OS and the brand new Palm webOS that launched with the Palm Pre.

Will Windows Phone 7 gain enough momentum in the health care market to prompt Epocrates to create a native app for this operating system? Let's wait and see.

Phantom cell phone vibration

I Could Swear My Phone Went Off

Have you ever had the sensation that the cell phone in your pocket was vibrating when it wasn't? Well, 68% of the medical staff at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., said they have had such a sensation.

What's more, according to Baystate's Michael B. Rothberg, MD, MPH, and colleagues, their survey of 169 workers indicated that deactivating the vibrate mode on their phones was the most effective way to stop the vibrations that weren't actually there.

Nearly 40% of those reporting phantom vibrations did nothing about them. But the rest apparently found them bothersome enough to warrant action, and most of them said those actions succeeded.

Turning off the vibrate mode worked for 75% of those who tried it, compared with 63% of those who moved the device to a different pocket and half of those who got new phones (and yes, Rothberg and colleagues calculated a P value: 0.217).

The "researchers" also found that the strongest predictive factor for phantom vibration was carrying it in a breast pocket versus on a belt (prevalence ratio 1.66, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.14).

From the British Medical Journal (BMJ)

5 Ways Google Voice Improves My Efficiency When I'm On Call

Author: Ellen Kim, MD

I'm a family physician in private practice and I answer my own calls when I'm on call. Recently, I started using Google Voice on my Android smartphone. I use an HTC Incredible and the Google Voice app has helped save a tremendous amount of time.

Here are 5 ways Google Voice has improved my efficiency when I'm on call:

1. Transcriptions of each voice mail. When I use this feature, I can view the patient's name, phone number, and pertinent medical information. I delete each message after I receive it so that I'm not storing personal health information on my phone. Here's how Google describes this feature: Google Voice can automatically transcribe your new voicemail messages and send you the transcript to the email address and the SMS number you added in the 'Notifications' section above.

2. I can also read the transcribed voice mail message and filter through voice messages without excusing myself to listen to each message. This allows me to promptly reply to patients when I know that a patient has left me a message. The other day, my husband and I were watching a movie. I received a phone call from an unknown number and after the person left a message, I could glance at the transcribed voice mail to determine if the call was from a patient.

Epocrates focusing on iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry

It sounds like Epocrates is focusing on delivering mobile apps for 3 major smartphone operating systems: iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.

Given that other operating systems like webOS and Windows Mobile are rapidly losing traction, I can understand why they'd make this decision.

Fortunately, the web-based version of Epocrates (found here: http://online.epocrates.com/) is optimized for the majority of mobile browsers, so you always access drug information using that method. Eventually, we'll see fewer mobile apps as things move to mobile browser-based "apps."