Useful Mobile Apps for Medical Technologists
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Gone are the days when smartphone applications (apps) were still a new, hazy concept to the majority of the public and simple games like Candy Crush and Angry Birds were the most popular to download.
During the popularization of apps, computer scientists and medical professionals saw the opportunity to use the format to benefit the healthcare industry. So they joined forces to apply the format to innovate patient treatment. As a result, countless apps now help patients monitor their health: e.g., their fitness, nutrition, and stress management. But there is also an increasing number of apps cropping up in the digital landscape targeted at healthcare providers.
Medical professionals worldwide are already widely using various apps to assist with diagnoses, patient tracking, pharmaceutical interaction data, and much more. According to the American Medical Association, nine out of ten doctors saw an advantage in using digital health tools, such as smartphones and tablets, to show patients images and videos related to their care.
Medical technologists and physicians can get fast, easy-to-parse information from the right apps—as long as they know which ones to use. The following apps should be beneficial for medical technologists.
Unless otherwise noted, the following apps are available for both iOS and Android mobile operating systems and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Medical Technology Reference & Diagnosis Apps
Merck Manual
While a hard copy of the Merck Manual is still commonplace in most physicians’ offices, the mobile version is much easier to transport and includes the same information on various disorders and diseases. One reviewer said the resource is “precious because it allows me to give my best to every person who presents to me for care,” specifically to help connect unusual combinations of symptoms and point to possible diagnoses. The app is easy to navigate by symptom, section, or using the index. It is free for download.
Calculate By QxMD
Calculate by QxMD is one of the most prevalent clinical calculator applications available. The app collects information from recent research publications and organizes it into multiple specialties, namely cardiology, hematology, and neurology, which is helpful for a diverse group of technologists. In addition, by answering a series of simple questions, the app can help calculate different risk factors and diagnoses, making it an invaluable tool for technologists to improve their interface with physicians.
Notably, it has added German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese translations. With over 4.4 thousand ratings on the App Store and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, it’s safe to say this app is a universal favorite among technologists of different backgrounds and specialties worldwide.
Epocrates
While medical technologists do not prescribe medication, it is still a good idea for them to be familiar with Epocrates, one of the top apps in the medical field. This free application contains a database of pharmaceuticals and can make physicians aware of possible adverse interactions and help to identify better patient solutions.
Some of its main features are its pill classifying feature, which helps verify the identity of mystery pills, and its database of national and regional formularies, allowing technologists to determine if a patient has coverage for a prescription quickly. As one reviewer describes their experience with the app, it’s “clear and concise and to the point, and I can find what I need quickly.”
LABGEAR
The LabGear app contains peer-reviewed content for all healthcare professionals. In addition, this application includes a comprehensive library of medical lab tests, including blood, hormone, cardiovascular, immunology, and others.
The app makes it easy for medical technologists and their colleagues to order and interpret testing of all types and comes in an intuitive and portable format. Users also write that the app stands out for its aesthetic appeal and ease of navigation. One reviewer said, “I love that it provides clear, concise information about each lab test, and give ddxs based on results.
ICD-10 On the Go Mobile
Medical coding and billing are a necessary part of the job for many medical technologists. As a result, the ICD-10 On the Go mobile app is one of the top-rated ICD-10 applications available, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
The app comes in handy for medical technologists who need to communicate quickly with billing and coding departments and can be especially useful for health information technologists who manage medical records themselves. Users can add frequently referenced codes into a “favorites” folder, unlike competitor apps. It’s available for download on the App Store for $7.99.
Mobile MIM (FDA-Approved)
Designed by radiology software company MIM Software, Mobile MIM is a useful app for radiologic or MRI technologists. This application (when paired with the branded MIMcloud) allows technologists and physicians to view MRI results on an iPhone or iPad.
Specific features include the ability to review images, contours, DVH, and isodose curves from radiation treatment plans. In addition, unlike many medical apps, Mobile MIM has been approved by the FDA. As a result, navigating the app is easy, and its portability means that consultations and diagnoses can be much more flexible and efficient.
Visible Body
Whether you are a medical technologist, a physical therapist, or an undergraduate student dreaming of being a doctor, you could probably stand to brush up on your anatomy. The Visible Body human anatomy atlas mobile app is an interactive experience, offering full 3D views of all the human body systems. “The 3D graphics, as well, are accurate and beautiful to look at,” one reviewer wrote.
The company has upgraded its library of anatomical images, including nerve systems, vasculature diagrams, and others. While it is the most expensive app on our list, coming in at $24.99 to download, its users concur that the price is justified. Medical professionals have reviewed the app for accuracy, which totes a 4.5 out of 5 star rating in the App Store.
NEJM Image Challenge
While the NEJM Image Challenge app may not be the most useful in clinical applications, it’s another fun tool for imaging technologists to use to stay on their toes. This app was created by the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals, and is known for providing highly accurate and aesthetically compelling medical illustrations.
The app embodies the Journal’s quality standards and aims to help users test and hone their diagnosis abilities by showing sample images, providing multiple choices for diagnoses in a quiz-like format. The app costs $9.99 in the App Store and is available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Macs.
UpToDate
UpToDate can be described as a knowledge system. Since its creation in 1992, it has provided physician-authored, peer-reviewed information to the medical community. The app version of UpToDate was released way back in 2011 and has gained a following of dedicated users.
UpToDate is an accredited resource for many different organizations, meaning some technologists can earn continuing education credits through the app. One longtime subscriber described his experience with the service, saying, “I was one of about four MDs in our multispecialty group of 40 using it. That number slowly increased, and now our group, up to 75 practitioners, has a site license,” adding that the app has enabled him to stop re-purchasing new editions of Harrison’s Internal Medicine and Conn’s Current Therapy. Bonus: the app is free for download and available in the App Store and Google Play.
Cardiovascular Tech Apps
CardioSmart Explorer
Many mobile applications are available to those who become cardiovascular team members with the American College of Cardiology.
CardioSmart Explorer is a free app that is particularly useful in enhancing the clinician and patient relationship with high-resolution cardiac graphics and animations. For example, users can show patients a four-chamber view of a 3D heart without the rib cage and tissue. There’s also a library of videos to help educate patients about coronary plaque developments, the logic behind stents, and more.
ECG SOURCE
Another app that cardiovascular technologists may want to invest in is ECG Source. This pocket-reference style app gives a thorough overview of cardiovascular rhythms and 12-lead ECGs.
It is ideal for techs to review their knowledge and put it to the test with built-in quizzes. It has a library of searchable DCG diagnoses, more than 65 high-resolution samples of ECG images, a five-question ECG quiz, and over 50 minutes of ECG tutorial videos for beginners. One five-star reviewer said, “Without question, [this] is the most useful online study guide. Up to date and easy to navigate.” You can buy it in the App Store for $.99 or $2.99 on Google Play.
Healthcare Professional Networking App
Doximity
Staying connected to other healthcare professionals is essential for career development as a medical technologist. Doximity is a free mobile application and social network that is only open to physicians, medical students, and clinically-practicing healthcare professionals.
In addition to its networking capabilities, it features HIPAA-compliant faxing directly from the app, so users can share information about patients they are co-managing, saving them trips to the office to deliver printed reports. Its dialer feature also allows users to make calls to patients out-of-office without using a personal phone number, a user-favorite functionality.
Patient-Focused App
Dario Diabetes Manager
To finish off our list, we threw in a patient-focused app that is one of the top-rated for people with Diabetes. The Dario Diabetes Manager helps patients constantly monitor their blood glucose levels. It features a logbook to safely store the history of patients’ blood glucose levels, diet and exercise, and carb intake.
Another innovative offering is its emergency “hypo alert” feature. Once enabled, the app sends a text message to up to four people with the patient’s blood glucose level and the smartphone’s current GPS coordinates. It allows users to easily share information, charts, and statistics with their healthcare team.
It is available in over two dozen languages and free on the App Store and Google Play. However, patients must purchase necessary accompanying accessories for drawing blood on the company’s website.
