Mobile infectious disease references: from the bedside to the beach

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Infectious Diseases
• Mobile Health

Background:

• Point-of-care medical information access is crucial for practitioners.
• Smartphones and personal digital assistants provide readily available medical resources.
• Numerous mobile applications (apps) offer medical guidance for infectious diseases specialists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the utility of six commonly used mobile applications for infectious diseases practice.
• To objectively score selected apps based on key metrics relevant to practitioners.
• To identify which mobile apps are most beneficial for clinical decision-making in infectious diseases.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed six popular mobile apps: EMRA's Antibiotic Guide, Epocrates Deluxe, Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide, Sanford Guide, Medscape, and Infectious Diseases Compendium.
• Assessed apps using specific infectious diseases topics, including endocarditis, vancomycin, and Acinetobacter infections.
• Objectively scored apps based on predefined metrics to determine practical usefulness.

Main Results:

• The Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide and Sanford Guide received the highest cumulative scores.
• The EMRA's Antibiotic Guide scored the lowest among the evaluated applications.
• No single mobile application fully satisfied all requirements of an infectious diseases physician.

Conclusions:

• Mobile apps provide valuable point-of-care access to medical information for treating infections.
• Different apps cater to diverse needs, serving both experienced clinicians and trainees.
• Practitioners should select apps based on their specific practice requirements and patient populations.