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Smartphones change health care practices -- for doctors and patientsby Chad Plein, KY3 News
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- In the world of smartphones, there are many applications that you can download.
"We could go any number of places in the future," said Dr. Sam Crow of St. John's Hospital. Some of the most popular apps for smartphones are just that: they're as smart as an M.D. "All they are are tools," Crow said, "but we still need the medical professionals." "It improves the care, and the safety of our care," said nurse practitioner Susan Bacon of St. John's Pediatrics. Since medication for children is mostly based on age and weight, the pediatrics floor relies on dosage tables. Bacon has these and other medical references downloaded on her iPhone, which she carries at all times. "It's there when we need it, instead of getting the books, and some of them are this thick," Bacon said. Most of these applications aren't just for doctors and hospitals. One of the most popular apps, Epocrates, is available for anyone. Apple's iPhone alone has 5,800 available medical apps. Of these, 27 percent target health care professionals, leaving the other 73 percent for consumers. Consumers would be wise, however, to ask their doctors if a particular application is valid. "You've got to be careful," Crow said, "because there's a lot of people out there with false sites. What you want is fact." At St. John's, Crow has been researching and planning how to implement more virtual medicine for the system. The hospital has a "My-Mercy" Web site and a smartphone application in test phases. "You can get online and get charts, ask questions, request an appointment and refills," Crow said. As far as where this technology could go, Crow says, theoretically, someone could put a phone up to his heart and the doctor could listen in on the other end and possibly make a diagnosis. Until then, today's smartphone is alifeline in more ways than one. "It's convenient, speedy, accurate; it's a tool in the pocket," Crow said. Medical apps are not the only ways to stay healthy through your smartphone. There are also diet and exercise apps that you can download. Last month, the California HealthCare Foundation completed a study on how smartphones are changing health care. Most Viewed
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