March 1, 2016 (Vol. 36, No. 5)
Rating:
Strong Points: Many images and active community
Weak Points: Lacks organizational structure
Platform:
iPad/iPhone/Android
Cost:
Free
Summary:
Medical professionals see incredible (and often perplexing) things every day. The Figure 1 app allows practitioners and students in the healthcare profession to share, discuss, and learn about medical cases both commonplace and rare (the so-called “medical zebras”) in one convenient app interface. Importantly, Figure 1 operates within federal privacy and ethics requirements. The app is image-focused, as the home screen is simply a running log of user-uploaded photos. Any user can read comments associated with the images, but only verified healthcare professionals can add comments. One limitation to the app’s organization (or lack thereof) is the fact that users can’t sort content in any way (such as by medical specialty). As a result, the app is best used to solicit colleagues’ input or browse the grab bag of cases that you’ll encounter.
