Clinical Topic: Ipad APP for Anesthesia Patient Teaching

Are you still trying to justify whether or not to break down and buy and iPad?  As the use of technology continues to grow and develop, devices such as the Ipad are becoming important tools for the anesthetist.  Writing for the on-line Barton Blog, author Ben Amirault describes a newly developed APP for the iPad which enables the provider to better educate patients in the pre-op environment.  According to Mr. Amiralut, “An informed patient is a happy patient. Providers who can effectively communicate with their patients can expect high patient satisfaction scores and improved outcomes.”

The drawMD APP has diagrams and descriptions of common anesthesia related procedures and enables the provider to better explain the planned anesthetic to the patient and the family.  The APP is currently free and can be obtained through the iTunes store.  As described by the vendor “drawMD Anesthesia & Critical Care enhances doctor-patient communication by offering a new paradigm for explaining the complex issues surrounding the intensive monitoring and care provided by anesthesiologists and critical care physicians. In order to improve patient understanding of medical problems, drawMD utilizes the iPad’s unique interface to allow anyone to sketch, stamp, or type directly on the detailed anatomic images included in the application.”

Click here to read the blog post by Mr Amirault

Click here to view the APP at the iTunes store

Download it, try it, and return to PROCRNA.COM and leave a comment.