Re: iPhone applications for the modern-day Otolaryngologist

The Utility of Smartphone Applications and Technology in Wound Healing

Appropriate management of both acute and chronic wounds is a dynamic practice that consumes large amounts of time and financial resources within the health care system. Traditionally, wounds were measured clinically and subjectively, leading to inaccuracies in assessing wound progression and healing over time. The recent development of mobile applications and digital equipment in medicine provides an opportunity for significant improvement in wound care through the incorporation of “smart” technologies in clinical practice. The utility of these technologies has been assessed regarding the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, burns, and general wounds. The focus of this review is to provide an update on the current status of mobile applications and digital technology in the management of wounds.

Mobile Applications for Allergic Rhinitis

Objective:

To study and review the currently available mobile applications relating to allergic rhinitis.

Methods:

The Apple and Google mobile app stores were queried with search terms relating to allergic rhinitis. Apps were assigned to categories and analyzed based on description and characteristics such as popularity, reviews, cost, platform, and physician involvement in development.

Results:

A total of 72 apps related to allergic rhinitis were identified. Fifty-four apps were unique, with 18 apps found on both operating systems. Forty (55.5%) apps were available in the Apple App store, and 32 (44.4%) apps were available in the Google Play app store. They were grouped into the following categories: patient education (18; 25%), journals (15; 20.8%), symptom tracking (14; 19.4%), clinical/private practice (13; 18.1%), pollen forecast (7; 9.7%), medical education (4; 5.6%), and other (1; 1.4%). The majority of apps were free of charge (67; 93.1%), with paid apps ranging from $1.47 to $4.99. Apps that were reviewed had an average rating of 3.9 out of 5. Physicians were involved in the development of 37 (51.4%) apps.

Conclusions:

The collection of mobile apps developed for allergic rhinitis includes those for both educational and clinical use. Mobile apps may have an increasing role in otolaryngic allergy and rhinology practices in the future. Thus, continued research is warranted to determine the best way to ensure the accuracy and quality of app content as well as the extent mobile apps can benefit allergic rhinitis patients.

A systematic review of healthcare applications for smartphones

BACKGROUND

Advanced mobile communications and portable computation are now combined in handheld devices called "smartphones", which are also capable of running third-party software. The number of smartphone users is growing rapidly, including among healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to classify smartphone-based healthcare technologies as discussed in academic literature according to their functionalities, and summarize articles in each category.

METHODS

In April 2011, MEDLINE was searched to identify articles that discussed the design, development, evaluation, or use of smartphone-based software for healthcare professionals, medical or nursing students, or patients. A total of 55 articles discussing 83 applications were selected for this study from 2,894 articles initially obtained from the MEDLINE searches.

RESULTS

A total of 83 applications were documented: 57 applications for healthcare professionals focusing on disease diagnosis (21), drug reference (6), medical calculators (8), literature search (6), clinical communication (3), Hospital Information System (HIS) client applications (4), medical training (2) and general healthcare applications (7); 11 applications for medical or nursing students focusing on medical education; and 15 applications for patients focusing on disease management with chronic illness (6), ENT-related (4), fall-related (3), and two other conditions (2). The disease diagnosis, drug reference, and medical calculator applications were reported as most useful by healthcare professionals and medical or nursing students.

CONCLUSIONS

Many medical applications for smartphones have been developed and widely used by health professionals and patients. The use of smartphones is getting more attention in healthcare day by day. Medical applications make smartphones useful tools in the practice of evidence-based medicine at the point of care, in addition to their use in mobile clinical communication. Also, smartphones can play a very important role in patient education, disease self-management, and remote monitoring of patients.