Mobile devices and apps are becoming more common not only in our personal lives, but professional ones as well. And for sure, the healthcare provider who is looking for ways to be more proactive and productive will appreciate the growing number of nursing apps. Many specifically address the needs of your practice, while there are some that make your office more productive as well.
However, with a plethora of apps now available, nurse practitioners frequently ask: “Which nursing apps are the most useful?” Here are some of the most popular options, which are available on both Android and iOS, unless otherwise specified:
1. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention iPad App – Intended for healthcare consumers. You may want to share this with your patients.
2. DocMeIn – A free appointment scheduling app.
3. Doximity – While their website says it’s for physicians, plenty of nurse practitioners and physician assistants are listed here as well. Offers news and a phone list, allows networking with local providers, and HIPAA-compliant communication channels for virtual “hall consultations.”
4. Epocrates – A long-time favorite for many (yes, me too). Epocrates offers two versions of the app: the free Rx drug reference and the paid Essentials, an all-in-one clinical reference.
5. Happitique – A “virtual marketplace and distribution platform” for a range of medical apps. It allows clinicians to prescribe apps for patient education easily. Available for iPhone or iPad only.
6. iTriage – Created by two ER doctors, it helps patients check their symptoms and book an appointment with a healthcare professional.
7. Medscape – Offers clinical references, medications, and even videos.
8. Skyscape – A well-established collection of free and paid apps, popular among healthcare providers. Includes Archimedes medical calculator, MedAlert ™ for latest trial results and news, Davis’s Drug Guide for nurses, plus more.
9. Sanford Guide – A long-time favorite, this guide to antibiotic use is now on your smartphone or tablet.
10. STAT!Ref – A suite of medical apps for healthcare professionals. Includes STAT!Ref Online, which allows users to search 300+ medical resources, many from Doody’s Core Title List.
11. Unbound Medicine – Like STAT!Ref, this suite of nursing apps offers numerous medical resources on your mobile device, straight from the publisher.
12. UpToDate – Another popular app, it is touted as the “premier evidence-based clinical decision support resource.” It even allows you to gain nursing CE credit while using it.
While we’ve listed just a few of the many options for nursing apps, please be aware that we are not necessarily endorsing any one app over another. As I said, things change rapidly. What works today may not work tomorrow.