A Review of Popular Medical/Health and Fitness Apps From 2011

With an “App” for just about everything these days, users are continually evolving in their desire for App driven interfaces. Initially created to expand the capability of the iPhone, the App movement has gone well beyond its expectations and seems to have no limit in sight. A new area of growing popularity is medicine, health and fitness. With users more conscientious and knowledgeable than ever about their heath and wellness, apps have adapted and facilitated the process of delivering medically related information and software. The following article will look at some of the most popular Medical/Health & Wellness applications of 2011 and describe how they found their niche in a niche market.The first application that has earned strong following amongst emergency and cardiac physicians is the airstrip – cardiology application. With the ability of physicians to check a patients electrocardiogram while outside the point of presentation on their iPhone, this application truly revolutionizes efficiency in cardiac medical care. With the ability to provide a preliminary analysis and display a history of ECG readings, the airstrip app allows for quicker, more informed decision making. It is clear why airstrip has gained such praise.With workout programs coming and going, it is hard to determine which one will actually work. P90X has made following its paid program one step easier with the P90X iPhone workout app. The main P90X interface allows a user to see the workout of the day, track his or her current progress, and see his or her nutrition journal; all while on the go. The workout program is, as its name indicates, a workout plan that takes 90 days to complete. The unique feature of this workout program is the ability to perform its routines with a limited amount of fitness equipment in the comfort of ones home or office. The portability makes this app especially attractive to those always on the go.The next application was designed with the student or science geek in mind. Anatomy 3D allows a user to look at three dimensional models of an organ system in the human body from the comfort of their iPad. The application takes visuospacial learning to a new level by allowing the operator to pan zoom around the displayed model to truly get an intuitive idea of where the landmark exists and how it functions in coordination with the neighboring anatomy. This is a great tool for brushing up on or learning human anatomy for the first time.Finally, Mobile MIM expands the bounds of the radiology dark room to the extent of a campsite or airport. With the ability to retrieve recent diagnostic images from CT, MRI, SPECT, and PET modalities, a radiologist can now truly be on the go. While the platform notes that images should always be reconfirmed in the dark room, the ability to make a preliminary read for immediate treatment is now possible from both an iPhone or an iPad. The innovative software allows the user to pan through images and read diagnostic history for the presentation being viewed. Though extremely niche within a niche, Mobile MIM is growing in popularity amongst radiologists.The Apps of 2011 have both left their impact and planted the seed of innovation for future developers to ponder.