One of the problems with telehealth is, whilst the doctor and the patient can be connected practically anywhere, regardless of where the doctor is, orwhere the patient is, that can cause a potential problem, if the doctor is somewhere where they don't actually have access to diagnosis aids at the time.

Not so much a 'middle of the supermarket' problem, as a 'middle of the Moorlands' problem, in which there is literally nothing even resembling a literature-equipped medical station nearby.

So, one thrust of telehealth is occupied with ensuring the physician has full access to a digital version of all the reference material they could ask for, with as small a footprint on their physical life as is practically possible.

Point of Care Lab Test Guide for Mobile Phones

Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests

Understanding lab results can be tricky when its not a test that physician encounters often, and maybe the results seem a little unusual. What's required really, is something that can be built into their phone or PDA, that does understand all the various tests and their results, that is additionally capable of putting that information in simple, graphical terms, for ease of understanding.

To that end, Unbound Medicine has released the latest version of the Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests. The application, designed for all major mobile phone platforms, provides point of care guidance on which lab tests to use, how to interpret them, and points toward additional clinical based information on relevant topics.

The product offers knowledge of:

* Over 350 laboratory and diagnostic tests
* Evidence-based information
* Convenient tables and algorithms
* Expanded coverage of molecular and genetic testing
* Intuitive navigation, optimised for each phone's capabilities and display area
* Personalized favorites
* Quick links to other medical literature

Pediatricians' Red Book

Mobile Red Book

The red book is unique to North America, so this information is less than useful to other telehealth efforts, but its existence might prompt other countries to follow suit. The red book consists of at any one time, the latest findings and clinical guidelines for health professionals in the US and Canada.

Up-to-date information about vaccines, emerging infectious diseases, and new methods of diagnosis and treatment is essential for clinicians that encounter infectious diseases. The telehealth book has been designed to work on the iPhone/iPod, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile, or Palm phones.

References

Unbound Medicine

Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests

Unbound Red Book