[MJCP]

As I type these words, I am waiting for Apple's Developer Connection web site to ease up sufficiently for me to download the long-awaited Software Developer Kit for the iPhone (and iPod touch, just by the by). In a way, I hate developer-oriented announcements — "here's a really cool thing we're working on, and it's available now, and hoi polloi can have it in about six months". Actually, it's the six months I hate. Read more

[Aaron Bellette]

"...a medications lookup database that would be useful for doctors who ... I don't know ... need to dispense prescriptions on the bus or something. Not too sure about that one."

As an Anaesthetist, I can vouch for the usefulness of these programmes. In my practice, the patients I anaesthetise are often on a variety of medications that may (or may not) interact with my choice of anaesthesia (or affect the way the patient may potentially respond under anaesthesia). As such, it is important that I have an understanding of these medications. This process is further complicated by the fact that one medication (with a generic name) may be marketed by several different pharmaceutical companies (with the resultant several tradenames for what is essentially the same product). Having this information on an easily portable object such as an iPhone means I have ready access to this sort of information without having to lug about textbooks or laptops. Prior to my MBP, I used to have a HP iPAQ, which had several textbooks and drug formularies installed on it.

Just another reason I'm looking forward to getting my hands on an iPhone!

Aaron.

[dancepuppy56]

As I type these words, I am waiting for Apple's Developer Connection web site to ease up sufficiently for me to download the long-awaited Software Developer Kit for the iPhone (and iPod touch, just by the by). In a way, I hate developer-oriented announcements — "here's a really cool thing we're working on, and it's available now, and hoi polloi can have it in about six months". Actually, it's the six months I hate. Read more

Not often I get angry but MJCP, This time I really am, of ALL the items shown the the medical app was most important, say your child is on the floor and has taken an unknown drug, here paramedics can check what drug she has taken, or the mixture of an older persons medication can be checked on site with the latest information, It could save your child's life and maybe your parents, now I damn well think that is more important than some stupid monkey game!

[MJCP]

I apologise that I made you angry. The application that was being shown was the type of thing you often see running on your GP's computer, wherein they can enter the names of the drugs you're taking and find out if the drugs they're intending to prescribe have any untoward interactions that should be avoided. It did look like a useful application, as does the database currently in use by millions of doctors worldwide. What I could not see was why this would be useful in a portable device, but as Aaron Bellette has pointed out, there are purposes for it, so I understand.

I don't know if the situation you're referring to, whereby an unknown drug that an unconscious child has taken can be identified, is within the capabilities of the application that was shown this morning. If it is, then of course that's a terrific and important application. But that usage of it was not demonstrated. What was shown was looking up the names of known drugs and seeing their interactions with other known drugs. As Aaron Belette has pointed out, that is useful. I hadn't thought of that, and I stand corrected.

[MJCP]

Just watched the presentation again, and the scenario for identifying unknown drugs was, and I quote, "a teenager comes into the office saying I found these three-sided pills and I've been taking them". Conscious (if stupid) patient, able to describe the pills, in an office.

The app certainly looks like it would be useful, but the scenario above sounds pretty far-fetched really, and in an office the doctor will have their existing desktop machine with a full-sized keyboard for the task.

So the scenario Aaron described, where an anaesthetist wants to consult with hospital patients by their bedside, is a credible and important application. The scenario described in the demo -- teenagers who are stupid enough to take medication they "found" but also sensible enough to consult with a doctor at some point -- is no more or less credible than the scenario I described of a GP issuing prescriptions on the bus.

My point was that this seemed like a strange thing to put on a mobile device. The scenario described in the presentation, I think, supports that.

[Ken Gracey]

Maybe steve is trying to promote the device to Dr and Ambulance drivers / paramedics? Just a guess of corse, but it may be handy in the field.



TL

[dancepuppy56]

I apologise that I made you angry. The application that was being shown was the type of thing you often see running on your GP's computer, wherein they can enter the names of the drugs you're taking and find out if the drugs they're intending to prescribe have any untoward interactions that should be avoided. It did look like a useful application, as does the database currently in use by millions of doctors worldwide. What I could not see was why this would be useful in a portable device, but as Aaron Bellette has pointed out, there are purposes for it, so I understand.

I don't know if the situation you're referring to, whereby an unknown drug that an unconscious child has taken can be identified, is within the capabilities of the application that was shown this morning. If it is, then of course that's a terrific and important application. But that usage of it was not demonstrated. What was shown was looking up the names of known drugs and seeing their interactions with other known drugs. As Aaron Belette has pointed out, that is useful. I hadn't thought of that, and I stand corrected.

No problems MJCP, My point of view is this new sort of information handset could be invaluable in the field, say a doctor (or paramedic) is called out late, its not his patient, does not have their medical history (could download this as well), an assortment of six or seven drugs, one is maybe a new type of drug or a generic drug, It gives him the information quickly to find out what it is and how it reacts to the others and is it the cause of the problem, nobody knows everything, even doctors, and they can't carry their laptops everywhere either, but they will have their easy to carry iPhone on them, and as you noticed and as Aaron pointed out in as was in the demo its the mixtures that are really deadly here, he can even do this moving around in the hospital using WiFi without looking for a terminal, its mobile, light and easy to carry from bed to bed, so these mobile app's will move the iPhone from being just a speaking communication device, into a total mobile communication tool, and professional app's will appear for the varied different situations as noted above, but it can also work in opposite direction too by uploading in realtime the patient's vital info live direct to a hospital by an attachment providing sensors, its all very Star Trek I know, but the difference is cost, its cheaper to make an attachment for your humble iPhone than for a dedicated machine and for portability its just a no brainer, if radio signals are a problem it can also be used just to record the info and show the details in its landscape mode, then on arrival WiFi it over to the doctor, so now MJCP I bet you'll never look at your iPod touch the same way again!, just don't play games with it on your way to the hospital!

[meincrannie]

I've been using Dell handheld PC to allow nurses to collect medical document & skin integrity data straight into XSForm databases, I am certainly confident that I can adapt a longer distance approach of collection and reference all I need is the technology to adapt my methodology. I see the future here, well a small step at least.

[MJCP]

Maybe steve is trying to promote the device to Dr and Ambulance drivers / paramedics? Just a guess of corse, but it may be handy in the field.

Yeah, I'd say so. The rep from epocrates (the developer) did say it was for information retrieval "at the point of care" which could well mean out in the field, at accident sites, and so on. Then the scenario he demonstrated -- for identifying three-sided pills someone had found and started taking without wondering what they were or what they might do -- made no sense.

There was an episode of House, MD in the first season (I think) in which a patient had been given the wrong medication because two different pharmaceuticals came in almost identical pills. House ended up going through the hospital's dispensary looking for every conceivable brand of the medication involved, to find the one that looked like the patient's cold pills and thereby prove his hypothesis.

Presumably epocrates's application would have helped in that scenario. In fact it would have helped more than House's solution, since the hospital dispensary is likely to have its drugs supplied by two or three companies at the most, and not carry every different brand of any given medicine.

[Ken Gracey]

Well in that case it would take the humble but handy iphone from a trendy must have gadget into the corporate and medical fields and make a serious must have tool.


TL

[Aaron Bellette]

Yeah, I'd say so. The rep from epocrates (the developer) did say it was for information retrieval "at the point of care" which could well mean out in the field, at accident sites, and so on. Then the scenario he demonstrated -- for identifying three-sided pills someone had found and started taking without wondering what they were or what they might do -- made no sense.

There was an episode of House, MD in the first season (I think) in which a patient had been given the wrong medication because two different pharmaceuticals came in almost identical pills. House ended up going through the hospital's dispensary looking for every conceivable brand of the medication involved, to find the one that looked like the patient's cold pills and thereby prove his hypothesis.

Presumably epocrates's application would have helped in that scenario. In fact it would have helped more than House's solution, since the hospital dispensary is likely to have its drugs supplied by two or three companies at the most, and not carry every different brand of any given medicine.

Thanks Matthew for mentioning Epocrates. I had not heard of this company before. The software I used when I had my PDA came from Skyscape. I notice they have set up a part of their website for iPhone services - looks quite neat.

http://www.skyscape.com/iphone/iphoneintro.aspx

Aaron.

[Ken Gracey]

Thats looks really handy if you are in the Medical area, i can see apple taking the Iphone in an entire new direction with this SDK kit, as always Mr Jobs is ahead of the game with what him and his team think up.


TL

[MJCP]

i can see apple taking the Iphone in an entire new direction with this SDK kit, as always Mr Jobs is ahead of the game with what him and his team think up.

The thing that I think is great about it is that Apple is freeing up the iPhone to be taken in the direction its users want to take it -- to do things that Jobs and crew can't think up. That's pretty exciting.