The Top 15 Free Medical iPad Apps For 2013

As we move into another year of the Apple iPad and tablet phenomenon, healthcare provider CIOs are wondering which apps are really beneficial to their organization on an operational level. BYOD is pushing an increasing need for mobility strategies and network infrastructure security, and the iPad craze really means one thing: more work for the healthcare CIO.

Mobile technology has the ability to transform patient care, and while many innovative developers have created free apps that have the ability to drive healthcare into the future of the industry, the iTunes store still remains cluttered with useless duds that simply do not make a clinician’s life easier, thus prompting the need for a comprehensive guide listing the top free medical iPad Apps that healthcare CIOs should consider. And, hey—they’re free!

Below are the 15 most sought-after free medical iPad applications (in no particular order) that all medical professionals with iPads should (must) have, based on a list compiled by iMedicalApps.com, as well as the Apple App Store statistics, deeming these medical applications highest rated and most downloaded.

1. Medscape
2. MicroMedex Drug Information
3. ICD 10 Lite 2013
4. Calculate by QxMD
5. AHRQ ePSS
6. Draw MD series
7. Radiology 2.0: One Night in the ED
8.  iLarynx
9.  inMotion 3D
10.  Cancer.net Mobile
11.  iTriage
12. Lexicomp
13.  Omnio
14. Skyscape Medical Resources 

Medical professionals want to be able to do their jobs more quickly and efficiently and iPad applications, like those mentioned, answer their questions and access their patients’ data in ways they never thought possible. For this reason, many healthcare CIOs have been challenged with the task of distributing or securing iPads on their IT infrastructure.

“Members of our medical staff have said that they love using iPads applications because of the constant connectedness that iPads offer,” said Patrick Wilson, department information security officer at Contra Costa County Health Services.

IT vendors have noticed the significant increase in the need, and desire, for iPads in the healthcare space and are working diligently to provide the best solutions for all their infrastructure and security needs. In a conversation with Mark Hanson, director of strategic accounts for healthcare at Fortinet, he said: “I definitely think those iPad applications are absolutely worth the risks.”

The patients are more and more efficient at understanding what their ailments are; so healthcare professionals have to be able to enable their physicians to understand the latest information on specific problems their patients are facing. IT companies like Fortinet are stepping in to integrate and prevent those devices from infecting the networks and spreading that infection. “Having security-based Wi-Fi devices, like what we offer, are key requirements for healthcare CIOs today when implementing iPad application solutions,” said Hanson.

Healthcare IT Guy On How To Get Started in Healthcare IT

Health Administration Degrees shared with us an interview they recently conducted with Shahid Shah, also known as the Healthcare IT Guy in his popular blog.


In the interview, Shah discusses how to get started in healthcare IT as well as how consumer technologies, like smart phones and tablets, are affecting this industry.


You can find the interview on their homepage. In their video player, simply choose this interview on the right-hand sidebar. Enjoy!

Mobility On Our Minds

Mobility has become one of the main topics of discussion among healthcare provider CIOs today. Whether or not to mobile devices such as iPads and tablets within hospitals, doctor’s offices and other provider organizations is something that these IT leaders are strongly considering. As with everything in this world, mobility has its pros and cons within this space, so how do you know which route to take? Hearing the opinion of other CIOs may help, as well as understanding the benefits and drawbacks of either side of the decision.

From a patient point of view, it is definitely nice to not only see a healthcare provider embracing the evolving technology in the medical space, but it is also progressively nice to have them easily and manageably access their data from a handheld device right on the go within the hospital, office or center. When you need medical attention, why wait? We have the technology available—so, taking advantage of that to speed up the providers’ process is a huge advantage. Craig Cypress, Director of IT at ProngerSmith Medical Center, said, “This year we will introduce the iPad to our doctors. It makes sense for doctors to have access to data whenever they need it.”  

It has come to the point in time when it is impossible to ignore how an internal mobility strategy can impact your healthcare organization. Therefore, if a CIO hasn’t already implemented mobility, he or she is definitely considering it or piloting/testing the solution “Our senior team has begun a business process re-engineering effort in order to be prepared for what we believe will be the full onslaught of healthcare reform. We have not yet launched a mobile strategy, however, I fully expect that to be one of the natural outcomes of this BPR project,” says Dr. Earle Charles, the CIO of Kedren Mental Health in Los Angeles.

Although a majority of CIOs are embracing mobility, there are still some skeptics. The main concern with mobility in healthcare provider organizations is the safety of data. Although data security is important in all businesses and organizations, healthcare CIOs can argue that it is even more crucial in their space because they are dealing with very sensitive and personal information. HIPAA really cracks down on the safety of patients’ information. “At this point, I don’t have a mobile strategy. Due to HIPAA concerns, I try to not let any data escape beyond my walls. I can control my data, but not always the users,” said David Bozwick, director of technology systems at Community Health Center in Akron, Ohio.

The question on the minds of CIOs is not necessarily which mobility platform to use, but whether or not they actually want to implement a mobility strategy at all. This question is a difficult one to answer as security challenges pose substantial issues while new mobile technologies continue to catch the eyes of CIOs. It is because of these tough decisions that I can safely say that I’m glad I don’t have to make them! The ball is in your court, IT leaders—choose wisely, and consider all elements when making your decision.