Evaluation of mobile app to assist with diagnosing

Physicians in Florida have various tools they can use to know what type of test to order for a patient and to make an accurate diagnosis. Mobile health applications are some of the tools used to assist with making diagnostic decisions even though they have not been evaluated for their clinical effectiveness.

One app, the PTT Advisor from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been tested by researchers at the CDC and Baylor College of Medicine to determine if the app can enhance the test ordering and diagnostic choices physicians have to make when they treat patients with certain bleeding and coagulation conditions. The researchers also studied the app to determine if the physicians found it a useful aid for learning.

According to the lead author of the research study, although health apps that focus on physicians are becoming more prevalent, the physicians are unsure about which apps can actually assist with diagnosing because the apps have not undergone evaluations. The PTT Advisor was created to address how difficult it can be for physician to diagnosis and order testing for certain types of hematologic disorders.

To evaluate the app, the research team first consulted literature to locate any established methodologies used to assess mobile health apps. When none were found, they created their own methodology for gauging the app’s effectiveness. The results of the study indicated the using the app improved the accuracy of diagnosing and test ordering of the physicians who participated in the study by 13 percent.

An attorney who practices medical malpractice law may advise clients of their legal options if they were the victim of a misdiagnosis. Financial compensation may be pursued against the negligent physician whose misdiagnosis resulted in a patient enduring a worsened condition or receiving unnecessary treatment or delayed treatment.