There is no field that does not suffer from the mobile and connected revolution.Without a vaccine to address them, smartphones and the Internet are also changing the way of doing medicine .Beyond flashy headlines about applications they analyze the semen or they can get to cure the cancer, the change is real and already walks through the corridors of the hospitals.
More and more doctors are betting on technology to enhance their knowledge and patients increase control over their diseases thanks to the network of networks and collective intelligence."It is impossible to remember everything.Before we had to always keep a book in pocket.Now, more and more doctors consult mobile applications , "says Laura Francisco, pediatrician.
Thus, the rapid access to knowledge facilitates the work and even improves the result.This knowledge is also available to the patient who, however, continues to give more importance to the doctor's opinion than to what he reads on the Internet.
"Yes, it is true that people are informed more, but they do not come with the diagnosis made.Sometimes they press to get tested or prescribed a medication, but, in general, the opinion of the doctor , "explains Laura Francisco.
Debates aside, these are some of the latest applications that are changing the way of understanding medicine, regardless of the end of the stethoscope in which you are.
The smartphone in the coat pocket
Navigating among thousands of symptoms, diseases and possible solutions has never been easy for medical professionals.The smartphone has been added to the books, scientific articles and second opinions of the past few years." The mobile vademecum It is very useful to know the dosage of medications, doses...Almost no one uses the book, the smartphone is much faster and safer, "says Eline Bandin, gynecologist.
Thus, applications such as Vademecum Mobile, Pharmacological Interactions (of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy) or more specific platforms such as Pediamecum, created and maintained by the Committee of Medicines of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, are the order of the day in the smartphones of health professionals.
Others, such as iDoctus, also seek medical knowledge to remain in more exclusive hands.To access their services-such as a clinical update platform, a medication search engine, calculation tools or a pathology search engine-it is necessary to provide the collegiate number.
"Health apps have clear advantages, such as greater access to information and immediacy, both by the user and the professional," explains Catalina Campos, midwife. "The main disadvantages are the depersonalization of the patient and that many times can lead to error in diagnosis and treatment ".
Apps don't heal, they help you understand
Although with reservations, the Internet and mobile technology are seen as important tools to draw scientific knowledge from its ivory tower.Also in medicine.Without undermining the expert's opinion, more and more apps help people understand better.what's wrong with them and take control of their health.
The most commonly used medical applications are those used to record symptoms and processes , especially when faced with chronic diseases and situations that recur periodically, for example, apps like Our Hurt or Catch My Pain store the more relevant data related to a chronic pain process, such as frequency, intensity, affected areas.They even have the possibility of generating a report for later clinical evaluation.
The same type of data storage platform is widely used by patients with diabetes-Glucose Buddy and Social Diabetes-or patients with tension problems, although many need to connect the smartphone to a tensiometer, such as iHealth or Smart Blood.But, without a doubt, if the applications of health have a favorite audience, this is everyone interested in gynecology, pregnancy and newborn issues .
"In gynecology, the apps to do follow up on menstruation or let you know when change your ring or take the pill are very useful," says gynecologist Eline Bandin.Apps like Menstrual Calendar, Flo or Clue add millions of downloads and hundreds of thousands of positive opinions among iOS and Android users.
Mobile applications are also widely used for monitoring pregnancy and breastfeeding ."There are platforms such as Lactapp and Lactation that are widely used among mothers and healthcare professionals to check medication and breastfeeding compatibility maternal. There are plenty of apps for pregnancy monitoring , the contraction counter, which controls which was the last breast you gave the baby...", explains Catalina Campos who, as a midwife, knows Well this field: A simple search for the term breastfeeding in Google Play yields more than 300 results.
Faced with such a range of services, the problem stems from knowing which one to use ."The only risk can be derived from the source on which these applications are based, it is always better to contrast," says pediatrician Laura Francisco."At the medical level, especially if it is something serious, several sources are usually consulted, using a book or article that is updated."
Tools of the future
In a field in full evolution and given the exponential increase in the volume of information, the recipe is always the same, let's talk about medicine, journalism or politics: consult several sources and reflect before making a decision n.Although we believe that we don't have time.Not in vain, overinformation also has its risks.
"The applications are useful because they are concrete, they are aimed at something.Google is too broad, there is too much information and patients search without a scientific basis. The risk is to confuse symptoms since there are many things that they look alike, and may this lead you to believe that tests or treatments are needed that are not really necessary, "notes Eline Bandin.
Apart from problems that do not seem exclusive to new technologies, other challenges appear on the horizon.The preparation of new generations of doctors to navigate the digital universe (in Spain, for example, the University of Granada already It includes in its program subjects of virtual medicine ) or the protection of private (and sensitive) data of patients are topics that will be discussed strongly in the coming years At least as long as the smartphone vaccine is still under development.
Images | iStock
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