Real-Time Medical Mobile App Speeds Treatment and Saves Lives in Critical Care Situations

A new mobile, medical consulting application (app) allows physicians to access the United States’ greatest concentration of medical knowledge in real-time, builds on a current web platform, where 125,000 US physicians in 68 specialties discuss and consult with each other to provide the highest quality care to their patients.

Sermo, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA), the largest online community in the United States exclusive to physicians, reported results from the Sermo Mobile app it launched in 2011. Possibly the most valuable feature of the app, iConsult, allows physicians to take or add a photograph at a patient’s bedside, choose a suitable question from the available list (e.g., how would you treat this?) and then immediately send it to relevant specialists on Sermo. Members can view and respond instantly, offering access to shared medical expertise.

The apps many successes to date include: Physicians across more than 30 specialties have used iConsult to crowd-source opinions on dermatologic conditions, electrocardiographic (ECG) readings, findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, X-rays, and other imaging tests, and lab results.

Seventy-seven percent of iConsults are answered within an hour with response times often as quick as one minute. iConsults average 12 responses, frequently by physicians across multiple specialties, demonstrating the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of many medical conditions. iConsults are typically resolved in less than two hours and as quickly as two minutes. The youngest patient helped by an iConsult was five weeks old.

Sermo physicians use the mobile app in addition to and not instead of the website, illustrating the added benefit of online collaboration tools at the point of care. After only 10 months, Sermo Mobile accounts for 45% of total traffic on the Sermo platform.

“Every minute counts in an emergency medical situation, and Sermo Mobile immediately reaches physicians who are in the best position to help,” said Jon Michaeli, VP of marketing and membership for Sermo. “The variety of cases and speed with which they are being resolved is remarkable, and a true testament to the power of crowdsourcing in a vibrant, professional community like Sermo. We’ve observed hundreds of iConsults where Sermo members have ensured patients immediately receive the proper care, speeding their recovery, and in some cases, saving their lives.”

One cardiologist on Sermo commented, “A few weeks ago I used iConsult to post a brief cardiology case of a young patient with congestive heart failure. His echocardiogram showed a rare condition called nonimpaction of the left ventricle. Several colleagues immediately posted responses. iConsult is a very valuable tool due to the large number of accessible Sermo members, which ensures instant feedback.”

Sermo Mobile is available for Apple (Cupertino, CA, USA) iOS devices, including iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Physicians can download Sermo Mobile free at online (please see related links below).

Sermo is the largest online physician community in the United States, with more than 125,000 physicians spanning 68 specialties. All Sermo members are verified and credentialed physicians who collaborate on cases and exchange observations to improve patient care, discuss drugs and devices and share information on new therapies and innovations.

Related Links:
Sermo
Sermo Mobile