Best Smartphone Apps for Your ED Staff

It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of doctors and other emergency department staff members using devices such as smartphones to help treat patients was unthinkable. Today, it would be hard to find a doctor of ED staffer who doesn’t use a smartphone or tablet in his or her practice.

There are plenty of smartphone apps to choose from if you’re looking to utilize one – or more – in your everyday ED routine. Better yet, they’re specifically designed for emergency medicine. Let’s take a look at some of the top choices today.

ERes

Versatility is one of the many strengths of the ERes app. It’s essential for all ED physicians because it can be used at the point of care for many different conditions and contains an incredible depth of content. And it only costs around $5.

EMRA PressorDex

This app is loaded with even more content than ERes – which is saying a lot. It provides dosing and treatment information for virtually every critical care situation that arises and also information about vasoactive agents. The EMRA PressorDex is pricier than the other apps listed here, but you get a ton of content for the money.

Heart Pathway

Heart Pathway is an essential clinical tool for treating patients who come to your emergency department complaining of chest pain, and can be used to determine if a patient who is suffering these symptoms can be safely discharged. This app was approved in a clinical trial.

MediBabble

MediBabble is an invaluable resource if your ED receives patients of different cultures as it has a database of instructions and questions in Spanish, French, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese and Haitian Creole. You have the ability to show the patient the text or play it out loud. All of the questions are of the yes or no variety. It’s free, so it’s worth giving a try.

SonoSupport

SonoSupport is a top-of-the-line ultrasound app that provides you with all of the information you’ll need to perform clinical ultrasound examinations in your ED. It includes sections not found in many other Ultrasound apps, such as appendicitis and testicular exams.

EMRA Antibiotic Guide

The EMRA Antibiotic Guide is one of the most widely-used smartphone apps by emergency physicians. It’s essential for prescribing any antibiotic and can save you from having to search other online references.

Eye Emergency Manual

A quick reference for ED physicians when dealing with ophthalmology complaints, Eye Emergency Manual is free and enables you to diagnose eye emergencies quickly.

Basics of Emergency Medicine

The Basics of Emergency Medicine app is essential for interns and medical students who rotate through emergency medicine. It helps medical students and interns figure out differential diagnoses and gain an understanding of what tests they should or shouldn’t order. 

EyeMD

The EyeMD app allows physicians to see if a patient has lost visual sharpness in one eye compared to the other. Android users should give Pocket Eye Exam a try.

palmPedi

The palmPedi app is designed for physicians, nurses, and others caring for children in an emergency setting. It has all the information you’ll need to manage pediatric emergencies.