The days of health care providers looking up information in reference books may soon be a thing of the past thanks to the rising popularity of smartphone applications.

In April 2009, Manhattan Research stated that 64% of physicians are currently using smartphones and the number of physicians using iPhones more than doubled in the last year.

Smartphones apps not all fun and games; physicians finding real uses

HealthLeaders Media recently interviewed Dr. Michelle Eads, a primary care physician who routinely reaches for her smartphone before writing a prescription. Dr. Eads relies on Epocrates, a comprehensive drug and disease reference application, to quickly decide what the safest medication options are by looking up drug interactions, side effect profiles, adverse reactions and contraindications.

In addition to the numerous applications available for health care professionals, companies like Think Safe, an Iowa-based company, offers apps for the general public that will verbally coach users through assisting with severe allergic reactions or emergencies requiring CPR.

Here’s a look at some of the more popular medical applications available:

• Epocrates: A drug reference containing information on more than 3,300 drugs, including dosing, adverse reactions, pricing, and pictures.
• Skyscape Medical Resources: Comprehensive drug information, clinical information, medical calculator and up-to-the-minute medical alerts by specialty
• EyeChart: A mobile Snellen eye chart that can provide useful screens for rough visual acuity.
• MedCalc: A collection of clinical calculators including Body Mass Index (BMI), I.V. drip rates, ABG interpretation and pregnancy wheel.
• Speed Bones Lite: Free version of Speed Bones MD that tests your speed and challenges your memory of the human anatomy.
• Taber’s Medical Dictionary: Includes more than 60,000 terms, 1,000 photos and 600 Patient Care Statements.
• Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses: Includes nearly 5,000 trade and generic drugs, the most common natural and herbal products, as well as monographs of indications, side effects and interactions.
• Eponyms (for students): Short descriptions of medical eponyms, such as Rovsing’s sign and Virchow’s node.
• uHear: A mobile hearing loss screening test that lets you test hearing to determine if it is in normal range.
• Pocket First Aid & CPR: The latest up-to-date information from the American Heart Association on first aid and CPR procedures. Also allows user to enter personal medical information including allergies, medications and emergency contacts.
• Police Scanner: For people who love to listen in to police scanner frequencies. Allows users to select from nearby streams or from feeds around the world. Great for “On Call” volunteer fire fighters, news crews, and emergency responders.

What kind of phone/mobile device are you using? Are you using any apps on your phone to assist you in your work? What are your favorite apps?

[Photo via johanl on Flickr]