PD Health Blog

As you can imagine at PD Health we love all things that can improve our efficiency at work, are a bit techy and are FREE. As a result we thought we would share our favourite free mobile apps that enable us to undertake our work with our clients anywhere and any time. A bit like our e-learning modules really. If you think we have missed a cracker then let us know about it by leaving a comment and share the hot tip with everyone. So here is our top 5 free mobile apps for health professionals:

1. Epocrates - http://www.epocrates.com/products/rx/ 

Epocrates is an oldy but a goody. Mainly providing drug reference information including some interactions. The app also has some useful calculators. This app is relevant for all health professionals however was orginally developed for medical practitioners in the US.

2. Pubmed mobile - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bim.pubmed&hl=en 

Search the PubMed database on the fly and view relevant abstracts. This app allows you to tag articles of interest, email links to articles and also share links to articles via your social media accounts. I love using it when waiting at appointments or at the airport and then emailing myself the link for articles I like to read later.

3. itriage - http://www.itriagehealth.com/# 

Again, this one has been around for a while however it is pretty handy when my client presents with an unfamiliar clinical picture and I need to explore the potential causes and management options. I can then use this information to recommend further investigation by the relevant health professionals. This can also be useful for day to day life, especially having a young family, it is reassuring having the app on my phone.

4. Eye Chart - http://itunes.apple.com/app/eyechart/id293163439?mt=8 

This app provides a mobile Snellens eye chart which only needs to be viewed 4 feet away from the screen. Perfect for home visits, mobile clinics or hospital wards. The validity of this tool would be questionable so I would use it as a screening tool to identify need for further assessment.

5. Evernote - http://www.evernote.com/ 

This is not specifically for health professionals however this app is super handy for health professionals on the road, undertaking home visits, working between sites or in a large premises. Your desk and computer is often not at your finger tips however this app allows you to make notes on the run, add images and voice recordings to accompany your notes. Essentially you could record notes from an assessment or therapy session and accompany an image of, for example, range of movement or a completed activity, or record your client speaking.

Well that's my top 5, what's yours? What have I missed? Do you have a different or innovative use for the apps listed above?