A Risk-Based Classification of Mobile Applications in Healthcare

2. Training

Training applications are the next major class of applications in healthcare used by both by patients and providers. Junior doctors are using mobile electronics application knowledge sources as steppingstones in building up their professional confidence (Axelson et al., 2007). This is helping younger doctors to be better at delivering care while not having to have every dosing size and medical fact memorized. Mobile devices are serving as pocket-sized tutors that are helping the learning curve of these young doctors to be more accurate and make fewer potential mistakes (Axelson et al., 2007). On the patient side, training is essential to the success of telehealth. In one study, patients training took between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. A short manual with information on the system was provided as well. Overall, patients were enthusiastic about the benefits that telehealth systems offered that complimented their primary care (Turner et al., 2009). As doctors are able to use mobile devices to find answers more quickly, they are more likely to have the needed information at the crucial time to diagnose, treat or educate a patient about the diagnosis or treatment that is best for them. The handheld computer with the use of mobile applications may be a panacea for finding medical knowledge. The trends that we are seeing show that as more doctors coming out of medical school rely on mobile technology for training and information at their fingertips, it will be a new culture of having mobile technology in every doctors office.

On a clinical study that involved using a mobile app called iResus, junior doctors who participated said it increased their confidence in making decisions and that they could be prepared to use it in clinical emergencies as well. The aim of the study was to find out if the app could provide prompts in a portable manner that would ultimately be beneficial for the medical professional as opposed to relying solely on memory (Low et al., 2011).