I recently got a new phone and I have been in the process of downloading new apps for it. This is my first Android phone so I am getting used to it but it has made me think about how much I use different apps on a daily basis in the clinic, on the field or in the classroom.
This also gave me the idea of telling you all about ten different apps that I find myself using quite frequently. I am always looking for more apps that will help keep me organized and productive so if you have any suggestions please feel free to comment below.
I have both an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy S4 so this list will include both android and Apple apps but many are available to users of many different devices. Now onto the list and in no particular order...
1) Feedly
Google Reader was great but its death has left many in mourning. Feedly is one of the best replacements for Google Reader that I have come across so far. This is a great way to keep all of your favorite websites, blogs, RSS feeds and YouTube channels in one location. This should help you stay up to date with new information, research and ideas related to athletic training or sports medicine. It is free and available on both Android and Apple devices.
2) Dropbox
Dropbox is one of if not the most popular cloud services to date. The app itself is free and it comes with 5GB of free storage to begin with. This amount can increase for free depending on the amount of devices you install it on, how many friends you invite, and many other various assorted gimmicks. I now have over 50+GB of free storage and I am nowhere near to filling that up...yet.
This service has allowed me to keep all of my PDF research articles, blog/YouTube videos, and literature review documents all in one place. It also serves as a great place to backup lecture notes, photos/videos, and music files. Dropbox is free and available on both Android and Apple devices.
3) Kindle
The Kindle app by Amazon is a free app that allows anyone to read kindle books or PDF files regardless of owning a Kindle device or not. I often find myself reading 2 or 3 different books at any given time and attempting to lug these around with my Kit and other stuff would be a hassle. Anyone involved in Athletic Training or similar professions knows that there will be plenty of downtime so this is a great way to either catch up on reading to learn more or a chance to kick back and relax. I don't find myself reading PDF files on this app very much because I utilize the next app on this list for that task. The Kindle app is free and available on both Android and Apple devices but the books are not free and must be purchased via the Kindle store on Amazon.
4) GoodReader
GoodReader is my go to reader for PDF files and research articles. This app is native only to Apple devices but is definitely worth it if you own one. I enjoy using GoodReader on my iPad Mini for reading journals, marking them up, taking notes and etc. This app does cost $4.99 and that is more than I originally paid for it. I would definitely pay $5 for it again considering that is how much a latte costs now-a-days. I am still searching for a good PDF reader for my android phone but I don't see myself reading as much on my phone.
5) Coach's Eye
Coach's Eye is another $5 app that I have included in this list. It is available for both Android and Apple devices and is a great asset for dissecting the motion or kinematics of my patients and athletes. I enjoy how the slow motion feature works on this app compared to some other free apps and I definitely like the ability to mark up and highlight certain aspects. It sort of makes me feel like John Madden and I like that. This app is no replacement for high-tech motion analysis systems but is great for evaluating stuff on the fly, quickly in the clinic or on the sidelines. This allows me to not only tell somebody what they are doing wrong but to also show them what they are doing wrong.
6) Epocrates
Epocrates is a great app and is probably more useful for those who work a lot with general medical conditions. However, questions often arise from time to time regarding medications that may easily have been forgotten or are rather obscure. This is the go-to app for those situations because you don't want second guess yourself or get those answers wrong. Epocrates is free and available for both Apple and Android devices. This app does a lot so I'll let its official description highlight its features...
"Healthcare professionals worldwide use Epocrates routinely to:
-Review drug prescribing and safety information for thousands of brand, generic, and OTC drugs
-Check for potentially harmful drug-drug interactions among up to 30 drugs at a time
-Select national and regional healthcare insurance formularies for drug coverage information
-Identify pills by imprint code and physical characteristics
-Perform dozens of calculations, such as BMI and GFR
-Access timely medical news and research information
-Check for potentially harmful drug-drug interactions among up to 30 drugs at a time
-Select national and regional healthcare insurance formularies for drug coverage information
-Identify pills by imprint code and physical characteristics
-Perform dozens of calculations, such as BMI and GFR
-Access timely medical news and research information
Disease information, alternative medications, lab guides and more clinical tools and content are available by upgrading to an Epocrates Essentials subscription."
7) Flipboard
For me, Flipboard is like a combination of a newspaper, a magazine and social media all rolled into one fun and interactive interface. This is where I go to on a daily basis for the latest news of the world, technology and some of my favorite websites that I have set. This happens all while sitting at my desk drinking my morning coffee and preparing for the day. Flipboard is free and available for both Android and Apple devices and is definitely one of my favorite.
8) Any.do
Any.do is a free to-do list and Task List manager available for both Android and Apple devices. Any.do does a lot...I mean a lot! However, it has a very simple and minimalist feel to it and this is vital for me. I've tried task managers and to-do list apps before that had tons of bells and whistles but were not very intuitive to use. Other apps that I have tried probably forced me to spend more time trying to set tasks than actually completing tasks. I have a lot more experimenting to do with this app but so far I am loving it.
9) Numbers/Pages/Keynote(Apple) or Kingsoft Office (Android)
The ability to read, produce and edit spreadsheets, power points, and word documents is imperative for my own personal record keeping. I am able to update and edit injury reports, injury evaluations, movement screens and whatever else the mind can fathom all from my phone or iPad. This is great and both sets of apps allow me to easily share this information with those in the need. The downfall to the Apple set of apps known as Numbers/Pages/Keynote is the hefty price-tag that came with them. Kingsoft Office for my phone on the other hand was as free as can be.
10) CoachSmart
CoachSmart was a free app produced by Vanderbilt university that was a great tool for athletic trainers and coaches without access to an athletic trainer. CoachSmart is currently unavailable for download but is set to be re-released this fall. It provided accurate conditions based on current location for air temperature, % humidity and heat index. Even better was its ability to show the latest lightning strikes within 6, 12, and 30 mile radiuses combined with a timer that restarted with each individually detected lightning strike. These strikes were also visible on an interactive map and the user could enable alerts to their device to warn of nearby lightning strikes. This app also provided coaches basic information regarding topics such as concussion, heat, emergency action plans and lightning safety. This is/was a great tool and I can't wait to see what the next edition turns into. I hope it does the original version justice. *This link provides the latest information regarding this app.
I hope you all enjoyed this post but I can't wait to see hear from you all and see what other apps people are using on the sidelines and in the clinic to better themselves and their delivery of care.
.gif)
