eMedicine/Gadgets

'Mobility shoes' take a load off for knee osteoarthritis sufferers
The results of a new study by bone and joint experts at Rush University Medical Center suggest that patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who wear flat, flexible footwear, which allows natural foot mobility and provide sufficient support for the foot, had significant reduction in knee loading—the force placed upon the joint during daily activities. Findings from the study were published in an issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Rush University Medical Center

New technique enables accurate, hands-free measure of heart and respiration rates
A simple video camera paired with complex algorithms appears to provide an accurate means to remotely monitor heart and respiration rates day or night, researchers report. The inexpensive method for monitoring the vital signs without touching a patient could have major implications for telemedicine, including enabling rapid detection of a heart attack or stroke occurring at home and helping avoid sudden infant death syndrome, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. MedicalXpress

WebMD App Review: A Beautiful, Patient-Centric App for Medical Knowledge and Healthy Living
Many doctors and patients are familiar with WebMD.com and its far-reaching Symptom Checker. The Symptom Checker is a tool that provides a differential diagnosis based on a questionnaire that the user fills out. WebMD has become the go-to site for patients who desire answers for their health questions, in a format that is easily understandable. In order to make this database and other features more accessible to mobile users, they have created a new WebMD App. iMedicalApps

Clearpath dermatopathology atlas and examination app is visually stunning

Conclusion:

■ I think this app has potential to be a big fish in a small pond. The foundation is there, and a few tweaks and more content would make the app far more usable. The most glaring omission is the premise that the app is founded on, that learning in this field requires viewing of multiple slides.

■ However, in its current form, each entry only has one or two slides to view. If I was a dermatology or pathology registrar / resident, it would make much more sense to do a quick google image search or use an online database than to load up this app. If the developers added more content, like many of the other medical atlases, it would be far more enticing.

■ The glossary and test functions seem more of a novelty in their current form, and I can’t imagine ever going back to them after trying them once, there’s just no value to a time-strapped doctor wanting to learn something efficiently.

■ So long as the app remains free, I would recommend it to anyone. However, if the developers started charging for it in it’s current form, I would be hard pressed to give it the tick of approval. MedicalXpress