How the iPhone 6 and Other Smartphones Will Improve Your Health

March 26, 2015 – We have a new guest blogger to introduce 21st Century Tech blog readers to today. He is Ryan “Scoop” Schlehuber, a features editor for The Daily News in Greenville Michigan. Never one to settle, “Scoop,” always looks to learn or try something new or hone a new skill. He brings his technology savvy to this blog site along with more than 13 years of writing experience. Today he lives in the West Michigan and you can follow him at thedailynews.cc.

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With the iPhone 6 creating a healthy buzz and the potential release of it and the iPhone 7 this year, according to Know Your Mobile, it is clear that smartphones are evolving into reliable medical tools for both professionals and the public. Thanks to the advancement of mobile devices, the power of healing is now within the grasp of every smartphone user.

Apps for Medical Students

When you think of soon-to-be physicians and nurses studying for their clinical exams, you probably imagine them hitting the books and putting in hours upon hours of laboratory work. What you probably never thought is how they are using smartphones as part of their training.

Smartphones have become a popular training tool with more than 50 percent of them using smartphone and tablet apps as part of their everyday clinical practice reports the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. Students, for example, are using mobile devices to simulate surgical procedures, look up surgical illustrations and access medical data from online libraries. In fact, in the Apple Store you can find over 900 surgery-related apps. There are more than 650 medical apps in the Google Play Store, many of them useful for surgical medical students. Whether Apple or Android, surgical and other medical students can find useful teaching tools and guides. For surgical wannabes there are detailed explanations for numerous surgical procedures that include preop, intraoperative and postoperative care.

Handwritten notes are being replaced by tablets, smartphones, netbooks and other digital, text-friendly devices. Apps such as Evernote and Notability allow medical students to not only take notes, but also to collect documents, file photos and record audio, which they can categorize into a searchable database.

Medical Apps for Everyone

Today’s mobile device users are accustomed to quick information at the tip of their fingers. The iPhone 6 has a new Health app to gather and organize personal health information. Input basic information and view statistics from fitness third parties such as Nike+. Record footsteps, heart rate and sleep activity. Create an emergency calling card in your phone with personal medical information, such as blood type, food allergies, and an emergency contact list.

Apps for a Healthy Lifestyle

Beyond the iPhone-exclusive technology, there are a plethora of other health apps available. For example, the app iTriage available on iPhone and Android devices offers information on common symptoms, local doctors and facilities, certain medications and procedures, and the latest news on all the topics for the day. It has been downloaded more than 12 million times since its launch. And it is not alone. There are numerous other apps available to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Check out these:

• Fitness Fast: Provides instructions for numerous exercises either pre-loaded or customized. It also gives you the optimal rep max and tracks your body stats.
• MyFitnessPal: Helps keep track of the nutritional content in your diet. Put in your own recipes or search for foods (including restaurant meals) in the provided database.
• Calm: Works as a meditation guide to help you stay calm and stress free.

Overall, your smartphone is a powerful tool with a lot of potential in the medical field. Whether you are a doctor looking for an article, a student scribbling medical notes or an average consumer trying to find a healthy recipe, your smartphone is now there to help.