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Medical advances like the development of surgical anesthesia and the implementation of aseptic practices have changed the way surgery is performed. More recently, the rise of online tools has given way to things like laparoscopy, lasers and virtual surgery, all of which have further improved the surgical process.
Web and mobile apps have the potential to be the next big advancement in surgery, with startups developing tools to help doctors practice surgery, communicate with patients, and document their procedures.
To enhance surgeon-patient communication, Visible Health has created DrawMD, a series of free iPad apps that allow surgeons to more effectively explain surgical processes to their patients. These apps offer digital anatomical images, which doctors can sketch, stamp or type on to explain the procedure in a way that the patient will easily understand. Following the appointment, the surgeon can send a copy of the illustration to the patient and keep one for their own records. DrawMD is available for a growing number of medical specialties including urology, cardiology and pediatrics.
When it comes to documenting, SurgiChart is a mobile and web-based charting app that allows surgeons to create a personal library of surgical cases. The platform compiles all information from a surgical case into a secure file. The information in this file includes photos, x-rays, and scans that can be organized in a virtual light board, which is useful for pre-operation planning or sharing cases with colleagues. Following the procedure, the surgeon can easily send the file to the referring physician to enhance continuity of care.
Missouri-based CVOffice has created a series of apps designed to provide information for surgeons and their patients. One group of their apps are risk calculators that the surgeon can use to calculate potential risks for their patients. For example, the app CV Surgery Risk allows the surgeon to estimate the risk of mortality following open-heart surgery. These apps are designed to be used as a tool to guide discussions with patients and their families about potential outcomes of the procedure. CVOffice has also created Surg Journals, an app that aggregates scholarly literature related to general surgery so the surgeon can stay up to speed on the latest research and use evidence to inform their practice.
All CVOffice apps are created and developed by Dr. Edward M. Bender, a cardiothoracic surgeon who believes the new paradigm for teaching is mobility and that information should be readily available regardless of time or place.
There are also apps that are used as educational and training tools for surgeons. TouchSurgery was created to allow both soon-to-be and current surgeons to practice procedures digitally. The iPhone and iPad app allows the surgeon to virtually practice or rehearse procedures and receive instant feedback. TouchSurgery adopts the concept of Cognitive Task Simulation, a commonly used education method that requires the user to utilize both their technical and decision-making skills. Procedures are broken down into steps with decision-making points so the user can learn to make safe decisions.
The TouchSurgery team is comprised of four surgeon and developers from the United Kingdom. Currently, TouchSurgery modules include appendectomy, hip replacement and gallbladder removal, with more modules currently under development.
Jean Nehme of TouchSurgery said, "“One of the keys to success will be the academic validity of the healthcare apps out there. This is what will distinguish between apps that are a ‘gimmick’ and those that are valid ‘tools.'"
There are no shortage of apps that claim to be useful for surgeons. While these apps present what appear to be effective tools for surgeons, it ultimately comes down to functionality and whether they actually solve a problem the surgeon is facing.
With the rise in surgical apps, surgeons will have to explore the market to discover which ones truly fulfill their needs, and help them not only perform surgeries, but communicate with their patients.
Via Parag Vora
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