Bryan Vartabedian, MD, of 33 Charts fame, has written a thoughtful commentary on smartphone apps designed for physicians. Building on a story earlier this week showing physician smartphone adoption at 72 percent, Vartabedian notes that there is a huge push to develop apps for clinicians, but:
. . .more apps may not be the answer. Just like another website wasn't the answer in 1995.
Connecting and messaging to physicians in will require an understanding of precisely how they operate and use their tools - both workstation based and mobile.
In essence, this rush to build apps for physicians might produce downloads, but there is no guarantee that physicians will actually use these apps. A useful app, then, would integrate into a physician's workflow and actually help them manage a surfeit of information.
Previously: Study finds more doctors are using smartphones
