Mobile computing is an important tool for both medical professionals and students. Smartphones like the iPhone, Droid phones, and Blackberry and tablets such as the iPad have a plethora of special information resources tailored specifically for them.
Unfortunately, there are a number of competing platforms struggling to take over the mobile market. Some app developers have created parallel versions of their product to operate as stand-alone programs on each platform. Some tools can only be accessed on one type of device. Other developers create web-based apps that work through the web-browsers installed on mobile computers, trading the functionality of an app for the flexibility of a webpage.
As you review the following resources, pay attention to which apps work with your device. Web-based apps will work with almost any device with a browser and an active web connection. Downloaded apps may work even without a web-connection, but may not be available on your device. Throughout the following lists, priority has been given to tools that are free or have only a trivial cost to USU users. If you're willing to pay more for access, many more valuable tools are available through your device's marketplace.
For more information on mobile computing tools, please feel free to contact the LRC or a reference librarian.
| Product | Description | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Abbreviations | Medical abbreviations is a free app that contains a comprehensive list of medical abbreviations. This is a great reference for students and residents. | iOS |
| Radiology - Head | This low-cost app ($2.99) contains over 170 images in 2 planes and 2 different scan types per plane. It is a useful resource for radiologists, surgeons, medical students, and nursing students. | iPad |
Access Medicine (McGraw-Hill, Purchased by LRC)
A collection of resources, including Drug Monographs, Diagnostic Tools, Harrison's Online, Clinician's Pocket Reference: The Scut Monkey, Medical Abbreviations, and Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas. To use the resources, go to Access Medicine from the LRC's ER on a desktop computer. Click on My Access Medicine and create a personal account and password. Then log into http://m.accessmedicine.com from your handheld device.
AHRQ's ePSS (DHHS, free)
The DHHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has put together this searchable and browse-able tool for locating recommendations made by the US Preventative Services Task Force. Use this resource to identify the most appropriate screening, counseling, and preventative medication services for a patient.
Essential Evidence Plus (Wiley, free)
Provides decision support tools, the Derm Expert Image Viewer, E/M and ICD-9 Codes as well as access to the Essential Evidence Topics, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, EBMG Guidelines, Evidence Summaries, and several other EBM databases. There are also several calculators and guidelines.
Medical Eponyms (Andrew Yee, free)
This webpage provides tens of hundreds of Medical Eponyms, such as Alagille Syndrome, Negri bodies, and Thomas Test. The content was created by Dr. Andrew Yee, on staff at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Mims Online Beta Version (CMPMedica, free)
Handbook of drug information, interactions, and images for Australia and various Asian nations, including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Mobile Medline Plus (NLM, free)
This consumer health website contains links to health topics, drugs, a medical dictionary, as well as current health news. A Spanish-language version is also available.
Mobile Merck Medicus (commercial, free)
Access the Merck Manual, Harrison's Practice - Answers on Demand, Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests, and MEDLINE journal abstracts. You will need to register before using the website: http://www.merckmedicus.com/pp/us/hcp/hcp_mobile_wireless.jsp.
Psychiatry Online (commercial, free with LRC subscription)
Access mobile-ready versions of Psychiatry Online titles (including the DSM-V). To use this service, you will have to pair your mobile device with a personal Psychology Online account (myPOL). You must create your myPOL account while accessing Psychiatry Online through the LRC. Once your account is created, login to you myPOL account and select the link to "pair devices." You will be given instructions on how to proceed. You may have to re-authenticate your device periodically.
PubMed for Handhelds (NLM, free)
A web-interface for PubMed designed specifically to be viewed on mobile devices. In addition to searching citations in PubMed, interfaces are available for PICO searching, natural language queries, and finding case reports of disease associations.
PubMed Mobile (NLM, free)
A web-interface for PubMed designed for mobile devices. PubMed Mobile provides access to the PubMed database which is easier to use than PubMed for Handhelds, but does not have some of the special features, such as the PICO tool.
Toxnet for PDAs (NLM, free)
A web-interface to ToxNet designed specifically to be viewed on mobile devices. Toxnet provides access to the HSDB (Hazardous Substances Database), TRI (Toxic Release Inventory), LactMed (drugs and chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed), Toxline (bibliographic information for various chemicals), Dirline (Directory of Information Resources), IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System), ITER (International Toxicity Estimates for Risk), Gene-tox (mutagenicity information), CCRIS (Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System) and DART (Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity database).
UpToDate (UpToDate Inc, Purchased by LRC)
Electronic clinical resource tool for physicians and patients providing information on Adult Primary Care and Internal Medicine. You need to have an IP-authenticated username to use this resource. Log-in to UpToDate via ER from your desktop computer, create a personal account by clicking on the "My Account" link, download the UpToDate App from your device's app store or marketplace, and then log-into the app using your username. You must re-authenticate yourself by logging in via ER every 30 days. Up to 2 devices may be linked to each username.
WISER (NLM, free)
WISER is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice. To download, visit http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/choose_platform.html to select the platform for your device.
| Product | Description | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Cochrane Library | This virtual "journal" loads in the iPad or iPhone "Newsstand" app. Each issue is free and contains the complete write-up and tables found in the print edition | iPad |
| EBSCO Host Mobile | This reader will allow you to read the hundreds of journals the LRC has licensed through the EBSCO host company. To set up this service, first log into any of our EBSCO HOST journals or databases, such as CINAHL. You will see a link at the bottom of the page for the "EBSCO HOST iPhone/iPod Touch Application." Clicking on this link will allow you to receive an email with an authorization code and further steps to download the product. | iPhone, Android, Blackberry |
| GoodReader | Although not free ($4.99) this app will display almost any PDF a user downloads. It is also available for the iPad. | iPhone, iPad |
| Harvard School of Public Health | The Harvard School of Public Health News app is a simple, functional and useful app for reading their digital content. The app also includes videos from the HSPH YouTube channel and podcasts on a variety of topics. | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| iBooks | There are two free, much-admired medical iBooks available from the App Store. The first is called “The Podmedics Do Surgery”. The iBook contains a range of interactive media including videos, podcasts, questions, and more. The second medical iBook helps students learn the Brachial Plexus through dynamic and interactive figures. | iPhone, iPad |
| Journals@LWW | This reader allows users to browse various journal titles published by Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins. The LRC owns many of these titles through our OvidSP subscriptions. | iPhone |
| MedPage Today | MedPage Today is an online medical news service for physicians and healthcare professionals. The site enables physicians to keep up to date on breaking medical news. MedPage Today is also partnered with Thomas-Reuters Healthcare to provider prescription drug monographs along with disease pathology information. | iPhone, iPad,& Web-browser |
| NEJM This Week | This free app allows readers to view the most recent articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It also provides images, audio summaries, and a rotating selection of procedural videos. | iPhone |
| Pediatrics | Read the abstracts of every Pediatrics article in a mobile format. It includes AAP Policies, Commentaries, and Perspective columns. | iPhone, iPad |
| PubMed for Handhelds | This app is a quick and easy access to PubMed on a mobile device. Allows for PICO searches and abstract viewing. | iOS, Android, Web-browser |
| Wiley Journals | Access a variety of Wiley online journals. To activate your account, you will need to create a Wiley Online Library Account from one of the LRC's Wiley journal subscriptions (e.g. Pediatric Anesthesia). Once the account is created, go to "My Profile" and click the link to activate Roaming Access. Access must be renewed every three months. | iOS, Android. |
| Product | Description | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| DC Metro Transit | A free guide to the DC metro rail and bus system (ad supported). | Android |
| Dropbox | Dropbox allows users to easily move and sync files from one device to another. | iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Kindle Fire |
| Embark DC Metro | A free guide to the DC metro, including schedules, live arrives, trip planner, system map, and advisories. | iPhone |
| Evernote | Evernote is a free app that lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders and makes these notes completely searchable, across all of the devices you use, and your personal computer. | iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7 |
| Genius Scan | Allows an iOS device with a camera to become a scanner. It can capture documents as JPEGs or PDFs. | iOS (with camera), Android |
| Image to Text - OCR | This app can take images of documents (like those taken with Genius Scan) and extract the text from them. The text is converted online when it is sent in an email or to an Evernote account. There are like apps available for other platforms besides iOS. | iOS |
| OPM Alert Mobile App | Learn the Federal Government's Washington, DC-area operating status - and get alerts - quickly and easily. | iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile. |
