Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/915879
+ A Healthcare Provider Directory to connect with colleagues, other medical school students and co-residents + The ability to network with other clinicians and possible employers + Opportunities to earn Category 1 Continuing Medical Education credits by reading medical journals + A salary comparison map Close collaboration with industry leaders allows optimization of the app's capabilities with up-to-date features. Partners include The American Society for Clinical Investigation, Amion physician scheduling software and the Society of Hospital Medicine. Users may utilize Doximity free of charge, but they must complete a sign-in membership. VIRTUAL PRACTICE FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS A product of NeedStreet Web Technologies Private Ltd., this app is a convenient and cost-eff ective way to engage patients when they are not in the offi ce. Available free of charge, the mobile-based EHR software is designed to enhance patient loyalty and improve health outcomes. Physicians may access the app using Android and iOS devices and online, and patients may also register to use this app. Virtual Practice for Healthcare Providers houses critical patient information and health records, including details about allergies, vaccinations and emergency contacts. Other key features include remote patient monitoring and health-tracking capabilities. Additionally, physicians may exchange information with patients in real time via video conference. They may also receive written questions from patients and respond with typed messages at physi- cians' convenience. n A Cautionary Note about Apps for Patients NOT ALL APPS geared toward patients gain high acclaim from physicians, according to a study led by Karandeep Singh, MD, a nephrologist affiliated with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. A group of physicians reviewed 137 of the most popular apps designed for individuals with chronic conditions ranging from addiction and asthma to hear t failure and kidney disease. Patients were able to track and enter critical health data into their phones and mobile devices using the apps. However, researchers found only 28 of the applications had adequate guidance for patients when they entered a value that was consid- ered dangerous. Fur ther, applications were not always able to satisf y the prefer- ences and needs of both patients and physicians. For example, patients may prioritize convenience, whereas physicians value a high degree of clinical precision. "An app that enables accurate entry of blood pressure with appropriate indications for high and low blood pressures may be viewed positively by a physician," Dr. Singh said in an interview with Reuters. "[But] if that app requires a login every time it is started, a consumer may feel it is too burdensome to use and rate it poorly." The research was in Health Affairs. M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S C L E V E L A N D /A K R O N / C A N T O N ■ N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 017 2 5