Evaluating Healthcare Apps and Virtual ICUs: Assignment 3 Analysis

This assignment delves into the evaluation of healthcare applications and the analysis of virtual Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The first part involves a review of the Skyscape Clinical Consult app, examining its features, functionality, and user experience, with a focus on its utility for healthcare practitioners. The second part requires categorization of medical apps available on Google Play, identifying existing categories and highlighting those that are missing, such as clinical guidelines for patients. The final section analyzes virtual ICUs by examining both the pros and cons based on the provided articles, summarizing their conclusions regarding the impact of telemedicine on ICU care, including mortality rates, length of stay, and potential challenges related to remote decision-making and ethical considerations. The assignment emphasizes critical thinking and a comprehensive understanding of the role of technology in modern healthcare practices.

Assignment 3
1. Visit www.Skyscape.com and browse the available books, apps and features for smartphones.
Choose and review one product.
Skyscape Clinical Consult (ClinicalConsult™) for android version 17.0.0/2014.04.04
Author: Michael Kauffman, MD, PhD. Publisher: OutlineMed, Inc.
Available free for both Android and iOS platform. Downloadable via Free Skyscape Medical library
App.
 It was designed to equip healthcare practitioners with the latest clinical knowledge that
resulting accurate and confident informed decision making at clinical settings. (Kauffman).It
is cloud based app that did not provide offline usage.
 The app is very interesting to use. It is also fun and entertaining at the same time for serve it
purpose to aid healthcare practitioners. It allow advanced customisation setting that user
preferred like notifications and search engine index menu. For example user can choose to
search based on sign and symptoms, ICD code, disease name and ample of others index
options. Bookmarking is also allowed and user can view history of the usage from previous
login.
 In term of functionality, it is work seamlessly with no technical bugs found and quick
reaction time. As first time user, I can use the app immediately without needed to refer to
any manual or using help features. It also allowed multitasking with other apps on single
login. All buttons and menus seems to work perfectly well. However it is lacking of voice
recognition option, all task must be done using touch screen interface. High contrast
coloured interface also missing in this app that do not help for the user with low vision
impairment disabilities in term of accessibility.
 Navigation of the app features floating menu which is handy that can be assess anytime by
simply on one tap basis. It make operation of the app become easy and clear with intuitive
screen flow throughout uninterrupted usage.
 ‘SmartLink’ and ‘See also’ buttons are major advantages of this app. ‘smartLink’ provided
linked that associate with the contained of the screens to others resources within skyscape
apps library such as calculator. For instance when I look at the obesity topic, it can link to
BMI calculator immediately with one tap. Meanwhile ‘See also’ button is designated to
suggest user regarding others topics that relevant and closely related to the screen topic.
 The app contains high quality information that are reliable from credible sources. The
developer claims the contents are from major medical journal publications including the
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lancet and New England Journal of
Medicine (NEJM). It provided access to references linked by using in-app browser.
 Gestural design features like taps/swipes/pinches/scrolls are all consistent across screens
with no lagging time.
 Graphically it was designed professionally and well organised. Every design component has
its distinct purpose with acceptable visual appeal.

 Overall, it is a decent app for healthcare provider and I personally highly recommend its use
to obtain concise and precise summaries regarding clinical topics from taking advantage of
its portability and miniaturization.
2. Browse either Android apps at Google Play or Apple apps at the iTunes App Store. Search under
medical apps and attempt to organize them into categories in a table. Are there categories that are
missing, e.g. clinical guidelines for patients?
Google Play – Medical Apps
Professional Healthcare Apps
Medical reference & database apps Complete Anatomy 2022
Professional networking apps Docquity- The Doctors' Network
Patient medical health tracking apps Blood Pressure Tracker - Cardio journal
Doctor appointment & clinical assistance apps Sistem Janji Temu Klinik KKM
Telehealth mobile apps (doctor-on-demand
apps)
Speedoc: Healthcare Comes to You,
WhiteCoat
Clinical Practice Guideline apps Blue Book+ CPG Malaysia and Clinical Practice
Guidelines (CPG) Malaysia.
Drug information apps MIMS Malaysia : Drug Information, Disease, News.
Calculators apps MediCalc®
Immunization guides apps CDC Vaccine Schedules
Medical resources apps UpToDate
Sensors apps Google Fit, Samsung health and Huawei health
Prevention guides apps PCRM’s Nutrition Guide for Clinicians
Diagnostic apps Prognosis : Your Diagnosis
Coding apps ICD-11 Disease Codes Pro
Image viewers apps IMAIOS Dicom Viewer
Journal access apps PubMed4Hh
Medline search apps Medscape
Medical translator apps Care to Translate: Digital medical translator
EHR access apps Medical Records
Remote data collection apps Teamscope : Data Collection
Mobile Health Apps for Patients
Patient medical education apps Patient Aid
Reminder apps - includes medical and fitness
tracking apps
Google Fit, Samsung health and Huawei health
Diagnosis apps for preventive purposes All stomach diseases and treatment.
Healthy lifestyle apps EWG's Healthy Living
Monitoring apps for chronic conditions mySugr - Diabetes Tracker Log,
Blood Glucose Tracker
Mental health apps Wysa: Anxiety therapy chatbot,
MyPossibleSelf: Mental Health and CBT Companion:
(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy app)
Dieting apps HealthifyMe.
Health Insurance apps My AIA: Insurance, Health, Wellness, Rewards.
PruBSN Aman.
Women’s health apps Women's Health Tracker and
FitrWoman – Period Tracker, Training & Nutrition.

Personal health record apps Your Personal Medical Health Record App: Andaman7
Telemedicine apps MyCLNQ and Doctor Anywhere.
Disease management apps Diseases Treatments Dictionary
Fitness coach apps Freeletics:Fitness Workout
Immunization guides apps CDC Vaccine Schedules
Vital sign monitoring apps My Vitals
Contact tracing MySejahtera
These are categories that missing from Google Play – Medical Apps:
1. Clinical guidelines for patients.
2. Infectious disease notification.
3. Pain score evaluations.
3. Take a look at the commercial Virtual ICU web page (Philips Healthcare). Read both a pro and a
con article about virtual ICUs and create a table with their
conclusions. https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/product/HCNOCTN503/eicu-
programtelehealth-for-the-intensive-care-unit
Pro virtual ICUs article
Lilly, C. M., McLaughlin, J. M., Zhao, H., Baker, S. P., Cody, S., Irwin, R. S., & UMass Memorial Critical
Care Operations Group (2014). A multicenter study of ICU telemedicine reengineering of adult
critical care. Chest, 145(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.13-1973
Con virtual ICUs
Virtual Mentor. 2014;16(12):969-975. https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2014.16.12.ecas3-1412
(Lilly, C et al., 2014). (Virtual Mentor, 2014)
Implementation of an ICU telemedicine
program by 56 ICUs across 19 diverse US
health-care systems was associated with
significant decreased mortality and Length Of
Stay (LOS).
Standard of care is at risk when partial medical
decision making is outsourced to remote tele-
intensivists.
Improved outcomes were primarily
attributable to:
1. Earlier intensivist management.
2. Coordinated timely usage of
performance information.
3. Achievement of higher rates of
adherence to best practices.
4. Shorter alarm response times.
5. More frequent interdisciplinary
Rounds.
Conflict between remote tele-intensivists and
physically present physicians might happened due to
no consensus regarding whose the ultimate decision
making.
Time constraint for the physically present physicians
and also lack of expertised within 24 hours a day can
lead to medicolegal issue if there is virtual ICU
equipment malfunction that bring harm to patient.

6. More effective ICU committee. Over reliable to virtual ICU might lead to deteriorate
of skills and knowledge to the physically present
staffs.
Even though above factors had small
independent effects on mortality and LOS.
Nevertheless their effects were inevitably
additive.
In nutshell, breadth of change in these key ICU
care processes is more important
than any single factor.
If the patient do not consent for virtual ICU, it is not
ethical to transfer patient to others facilities that has
in hospital intensivists if the process of transferring
patient itself might risk the patient care and life.
References
Kauffman, M. (n.d.). Skyscape Clinical Consult: Skyscape Mobile App & Web. Retrieved November 15,
2021, from https://www.skyscape.com/product/skyscape-clinical-consult
Lilly, C. M., McLaughlin, J. M., Zhao, H., Baker, S. P., Cody, S., Irwin, R. S., & UMass Memorial Critical
Care Operations Group (2014). A multicenter study of ICU telemedicine reengineering of adult
critical care. Chest, 145(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.13-1973
Virtual Mentor. 2014;16(12):969-975. https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2014.16.12.ecas3-1412
Hoyt, R. E., & Hersh, W. R. (2018). Health informatics: Practical guide. Singapore: Informatics
Education.