Emergency Medical Service Apps for EMS Workers
As almost anyone of the Millennial generation knows, technology and daily advancements in this information age make our lives and our professions easier and more interconnected than ever.
We turn to our smartphones and tablets and the apps designed for them for everything from keeping up with our social calendars to scheduling daily tasks to managing our bank accounts and budgets. So why wouldn’t the folks behind app development and creation figure out a way to use them for medical purposes too?
Emergency medical services (EMS) providers can rejoice: the app marketplace on both Apple and Android devices is equipped with various programs and tools that can make their jobs easier, and make patient care more precise. Here are a few favored apps now available on the App Store and Android Market.
Pharmacology Apps
Micromedex Drug Information Apps, Free with subscription or $2.99/year
Micromedex apps provide instant access to key and trustworthy drug information.
Drugs.com Pill and Medication Apps, Free–$0.99
Access drug information, identify pills by appearance, and even use for personal record keeping.
iPharmacy Pill Identifier, Free–$0.99
Recognize drugs by their appearance, reference drug information and understand treatment plans.
EMS Pocket Drug Guide, $14.99
Find complete information on more than 1,000 drugs, search with confidence and learn anything you need to know on the spot.
Clinical Apps
ERres, $9.99
Easily navigate policies, various calculators and functions, medication lists and more with this bedside app.
PalmEM, $19.99
A comprehensive and quick reference guide for internal medicine, urgent care, critical care, and more.
The Merck Manual, $34.99
One of the 10 Essential Medical Apps in the App Store, this manual is a key assistant in diagnosing and treating disorders with trusted and constantly-updated content.
Connecting Apps to Your EMT Training
Throughout your paramedic education at HCI, you’ll learn about pharmacology and how to apply it to your work as an EMT or paramedic. In EMS 2621C, which is a lecture/lab course in the paramedic program, toxicology will begin to cover drugs and patient use. With one of the above apps, you will be able to begin making practical connections between medications and their uses and adverse reactions. These apps can help serve as study guides or refreshers when you’re faced with a complex situation, in class or in the field.
In all three semesters of the paramedic program, some level of fieldwork and observation will be part of your training. This begins with EMS 2664L in Semester I, continues with EMS 2665L in Semester II, and concludes with EMS 2668L in Semester III. These all include time in the hospital and on the ambulance, and will be your education in the practice of medicine as a paramedic. Using the applications above, particularly those for clinical assistance, you’ll be able to complement your education with quick-look reference guides and other useful tools to maximize what you’re learning in the field, as you begin to internalize your education.
