It is important to have knowledge and information for patients on how to select the proper health apps for their devices and websites that will guide them in the right direction for their condition or general information. They need to meet certain criteria to be useful to the patient, be user friendly, and have credible information.
Here are seven things you should look for to choose an app:
- Review scientific publishings (books, journals, etc.)
- Check out an app clearinghouse (a collection and classification of apps)
- Search app stores
- Review their descriptions & reviews from users and how they rate the app
- Ask questions about it in a professional social media setting
- Try out the app yourself
- ask for feedback from other patients
It can be hard for patients to find websites and apps when social media is flooded with them, and if they can be backed up by science and evidence. Technology is always changing and that affects the information given as well, but that limits how to judge if the app or website is valid. Because of that, it can have serious consequences such as missing important information for diagnosis.
Security and confidentiality should be key in using health websites and apps because our personal and health information will be on the internet. So hackers have the ability to break in to, collect, and use our personal data. That is why it is so important to be thorough in choosing one. These sites and apps should have security firewalls in place to protect patients and their information. Regulations are in place to help protect patients and their rights and privacy which also makes it harder to share medical information on the internet. But now a person can consent by signature to share their information with another and what type of information whether all or just parts of it.
Some apps for smartphones that are easy to navigate and search are:
- mHealth
- Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide (JHABx)
- 5-Minute Clinical Consult (5MCC)
- 5-Minute Infectious Diseases Consult (5MIDC
- Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy (SG)
- ePocrates ID
- Infectious Disease Notes (ID Notes)
- Pocket Medicine Infectious Diseases (PMID)
- IDdx
A few websites with up-to-date quality medical information that also have external links:
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