iPhone Health Apps for Patients

I would consider myself a budget-conscious buyer who is very deliberate in my purchases. Before making any major purchases (i.e., anything above $50), I would repeatedly ask myself, "Do I really need this?" As expected, I went through the same ritual prior to finally obtaining my first iPhone (by then, it had already reached the third-generation model).

As a health care worker, I have found the smartphone to be an extraordinarily helpful tool in the hospital and clinics. With the rising prevalence of computers, I nevertheless found no need to replace my Palm Treo that had died. I tried convincing myself that my aged Motorola RAZR would suffice. Needless to say, I survived without difficulty.

Fast forward several years. There was a point in Apple's reign when the iPhone finally saturated the market, whereby everyone and their grandmother had an iPhone. My family, friends, and colleagues would extol the virtues of the phone, while trying to persuade me to invest in one. I fought the impulse, but did some background research. Again, I asked myself, "Do I really need this?" After weighing the pros and cons -- and obtaining a significant academic discount -- I jumped on the Apple-controls-my-mind-and-my-wallet bandwagon.

In retrospect, this was one of the best purchases I made in 2009. The iPhone has made a dramatic impact on my efficiency. While rounding on the wards, I have fingertip access to a wealth of medical information. While waiting for the elevator, I can read more on the management of different diseases or peruse Medscape for the latest medical news. Then, there are the bonus benefits of checking my e-mail / Twitter on the go, finding driving directions when lost, playing online games with friends, checking the weather, recording my thoughts on the fly, following the stock market, etc.

As a caveat, I speak from the perspective of a medical professional, so my reasons for purchasing an iPhone may differ from yours. But with the hundreds of thousands apps available on iTunes, there will certainly be many other features that suit your individual occupation and lifestyle. I'm not a salesman nor am I married to Apple Inc., so I will not sway you necessarily toward the iPhone. Rate your priorities, pick a few candidate phones, and do the research.

This Squidoo lens is for informational purposes only. The list of iPhone health apps was compiled through targeted and random Internet searches. I have not tested them and do not vouch for their accuracy or utility. Inclusion in this lens does not represent endorsement by me, On The Wards, or affiliated sites.