Windows 8 in Health Care: 10 Apps for Doctors, Patients and Researchers

This free application from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers health articles, automatic updates about medical issues and images from CDC’s Public Health Image library. A “Did You Know” feature keeps the public informed about the prevention of illnesses. The app “empowers people around epidemics and trends,” said Schmuland.

The free Digital Health Scorecard app from Johnson & Johnson could make use of Windows 8’s LiveTiles feature to see a tile turn from yellow to green if a person loses a target amount of weight like 5 pounds or reduces their blood pressure, Schmuland suggested. “So at a glance you can now deliver instant information that’s relevant to the workflow of the individual,” said Schmuland.

This free app combines personal fitness with social media by allowing users to challenge their friends to meet exercise goals. Endomondo lets consumers track their exercise routes, distance, duration, running speed and calorie consumption. Users can monitor their own results as well as those of friends.

Still in development, Exco InTouch is a mobile tool that helps consumers manage their asthma and improve their medication adherence. Patients can monitor their breathing using a spirometer connected to their device through Bluetooth.

A free app from the National Health Service, the publicly funded health system in the United Kingdom, allows users to find contact information for general practitioners, dentists and hospitals. The site allows patients to store information about their conditions in the Microsoft HealthVault personal health platform. In addition, the app’s Health A-Z feature provides in-depth details on conditions and treatments.

Available in late November 2012, NextDocs Trial Exchange allows clinical trial investigators to access and contribute documents to a Clinical Trial Master File (TMF). Using Windows 8’s Live Tiles feature, physicians and investigators receive quick updates on the status of trials. Users can also share clinical trial information securely within the app.

This application from ePharmaSolutions allows people to search for medications or treatments for their conditions. The free app is exclusively available on Windows 8 and integrates with HealthVault. Patients get updates when new medical therapies become available.

Greenway Technologies’ PrimeMobile allows physicians to view patient data from the company’s electronic health record (EHR) platforms. Doctors can view problem lists, progress notes, lab results and appointment schedules. The app also offers billing functionality and a patient demographics search feature.

A $4.99 app from bio- and cheminformatics software developer Scilligence, TouchMol allows chemists to draw, share and search chemical and biological structures. Users can use the touch-screen capabilities of tablets to draw structures with their fingers.

“Up to Date is a clinical reference app that’s very popular among physicians,” said Schmuland. The free app allows doctors to research answers to clinical questions. “It pulls together evidence-based recommendations, a lot of documentation and docs can earn CME credit as well,” he said.