Cushing’s iPhone/iPod Apps

Coming soon! A Cushing’s App for the iPod/iPhone.  There’s a mockup you can play with at http://bit.ly/91hdQw

Right now it has Podcasts, Cushing’s News, Latest Bios, Upcoming Events, Blog, Twitter, NIH Trials, the latest posts on the Message Boards, Helpful Links, New MDs, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, PubMed, WebMD.

More may be added before this goes live later this month.

People have suggested symptoms and/or drug trackers.  Robin found us a really neat way to make our own individual specially tailored apps.

The following directions are adapted from http://www.doseofdigital.com/2010/01/build-iphone-medication-tracker-10/ and could also be used to track surgeries, weight, anything you want.

How to Build Your Own iPhone Tracker/Reminder System:

1) First, go to Google Docs.  Start a new spreadsheet and fill in the columns you want to track. Like this:

You can see that this example tracks weight, whether or not meds were taken, and how you feel.

2) Create a form (click “Form”–>”Create a form”). The form will already have your column headers populated as questions automatically (you don’t need to add a column for date or time, as Google will do this automatically).

You’ll then have a form like this:

You can add a little flair via the “Theme” selector.

You can also change the “Took Medication” into a multiple choice question and the “I Feel…” into a Likert scale, if you wish:

3) After you finish the form, email it to yourself. When you get the email, open it on your iPod/iPhone.  Follow the link and this is what you’ll get:

Tah dah. A form on your phone that you can fill out. Fill it out and submit it. Each time you fill out the form, it automatically adds the data to the right spot in your spreadsheet. Like so:

Cool, right?

4) Wondering how your doing without having to look at the spreadsheet? No problem. When editing your form, select “More actions” –> “Edit confirmation.” Check the “Let everyone see response summary” box.

Now, every time you complete the form, you’ll get a confirmation screen with a link to a summary screen. Here it is:

5) What’s that? You don’t want to have to click a link in an email (that you’ll probably lose) every day to get to the form. Me neither. So, when you have the form open, click that little “+” sign at the bottom of the screen and you’ll get this:

Select “Add to Home Screen”. You’ll then get a screen asking you to name your icon and then you can place it anywhere on your iPod/iPhone. Viola.

Check it out…it’s even got the fancy theme to make the icon look good.

So, every time you need to record your medication (or whatever), just click the icon and fill out the form. Done.

6) Need a reminder?

Go to your Google Calendar and set up a recurring “meeting” for yourself. Like so:

Now, you’ll get an email reminding you to complete your tracker.

7) Need more help?  Discuss this on the message boards.

iPhone Medical Apps, part 2

Part one was a blog post here.  That page includes comments and suggestions from readers.

National Library of Medicine Launches Mobile MedlinePlus to Meet the Health Information Needs of an On-the-Go Public

Wondering what the side effects are for your new prescription? Go to Mobile MedlinePlus (http://m.medlineplus.gov) while you’re waiting for the pharmacist to fill your order!

Or, instantly look up the symptoms of H1N1 flu if you’re at the supermarket and your child’s school calls you to tell you he doesn’t feel well.

The National Library of Medicine’s Mobile Medline Plus builds on the NLM’s MedlinePlus Internet service, which provides authoritative consumer health information to over 10 million visitors per month. These visitors access MedlinePlus (http://medlineplus.gov) from throughout the United States as well many other countries, and use desktop computers, laptops and even mobile devices to get there.

The mobile Internet audience is large and growing fast, almost doubling from February 2007 to February 2009. Some experts predict that within the next five years, more people will connect to the Internet via mobile devices than via desktop or laptop computers. People use their mobile devices to accomplish a variety of tasks, including finding health information. With this in mind, NLM developed the mobile version of MedlinePlus to bring high-quality health information to users on the go.

“We know that a huge number of people are seeking good health information on the Web, noted NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg. What better way to reach out to them than by offering this new mobile service, which delivers trustworthy, consumer-friendly information instantly, anywhere?”

Mobile MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish (http://m.medlineplus.gov/spanish) and includes a subset of content from the full Web site. It includes summaries for over 800 diseases, wellness topics, the latest health news, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, and information on prescription and over-the-counter medications.

For instance, you could visit the “Talking With Your Doctor” page on Mobile MedlinePlus to learn how to get the most out of your doctor’s visit.

Mobile MedlinePlus can also help you when you’re trying to choose an over-the-counter cold medicine at the drug store.

And if you’re traveling abroad, you can use Mobile MedlinePlus to learn about safe drinking water.

Mobile MedlinePlus puts reliable health information at your fingertips.

*High resolution screen shot of Mobile MedlinePlus available upon request.

The National Library of Medicine is part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the nation’s largest medical library.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

From http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2010/nlm-22.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

iPhone Medical Apps

I just downloaded a free app from Medscape.  It looks very  nice and there are doctor and hospital finders based on location and, in the case of doctors, by specialty.  Unfortunately, there aren’t any reviews of doctors and I saw some on the endocrinology list that I would never go to but it’s a great start.

There are also drug interactions and more.

More info and flash preview at http://www.medscape.com/public/iphone?

WebMD Mobile offers a symptoms checker, drugs and treatments, and first aid information.

There’s more info and a flash preview here: http://www.webmd.com/mobile

What other good medical apps have you found?