Softcode Systems - A Medical Informatics Blog

A sneak peek from the next update to Radiology Toolbox Pro for...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:44:14 -0500

A sneak peek from the next update to Radiology Toolbox Pro for iPad / iPhone.

Radiology Toolbox breaks 30,000 downloads!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:51:38 -0500

We are very excited to announce that the Lite version of Radiology Toolbox has now been downloaded over 30,000 times from the Apple iTunes App Store worldwide. The app has been downloaded in over 85 countries, and hundreds of suggestions have been set in by users of the app.

The Pro version is available for download for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch at the App Store.

New Buzzword Alert: "Patient Activation"

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:06:06 -0500

We have a new buzzword to add to mHealth.

Here is an interesting article from mobihealthnews on “Patient Activation,” a new coinage for patients taking charge of their own health and healthcare. We are, of course our own best advocates. The mobile health apps will help us do just that.

With all of the changes coming, we all need to be our own first lines of defense, to help us better help those professionals who take care of us.

More from the RSNA

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:40:40 -0500

Another fascinating day at the 97th annual meeting of the RSNA.

I attended a fun (for the inner geek in us all) lecture, “Cool Technologies for Radiologists” given by Drs. Richardson, Petscavage and Thapa, based on their ebook of a similar name (available on Amazon).

Besides all of the new diagnostic imaging equipment, there were several interesting new technologies for education and interacting with complex data sets.

Anatomage has a product call ‘The Table’ an interactive anatomy study table. This is a virtual cadaver, a touch screen the size of an actual dissection table that you can manipulat 3D CT data. Very cool!

We also demoed two new methods of interacting with volumetric data from CTs.

Digital ArtForms was demonstrating their iMedic3D, a two-handed interface for moving through 3D space, such as in virtual colonoscopy, as well as their iMedicPACS, which allows the user to navigate through multiplanar views of cross sectional imaging.

GestSure Technologies new product uses a Microsoft Kinect style interface designed so that surgeons can manipulate CT images in the sterile environment of the operating room.

These devices are still works in progress, but I look forward to the future development of these types of interfaces.

Exciting First Day at RSNA

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:21:27 -0500

Sunday was the first day of RSNA 2011, the worlds largest annual medical meeting.

From RSNA President Dr. Burton Drayer’s very upbeat and forward looking opening oration to lectures on the imaging of dementia, it was a fascinating and varied first day.

The food in Chicago is great, too.

Today will start off with a lecture on “Cool Technologies for Radiologists,” an Informatics in Practice course.

We have had great feedback on our app, Radiology Toolbox Pro as well!

Softcode Systems at the RSNA

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:18:00 -0500

We are very excited to be attending this year’s RSNA meeting in Chicago.

The Radiological Society of North America’s 97th annual meeting is the worlds largest annual medical meeting. Tens of thousands of radiologists, technologists and industry vendors all share ideas and show off their wares for the entire week in Chicago.

We hope to get a lot of feedback on our app, Radiology Toolbox Pro at the meeting, and are thrilled at the prospect of meeting more of our user community in person.

Softcode Systems founder, Eric Baumel, M.D. shooting the...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:37:00 -0500

Softcode Systems founder, Eric Baumel, M.D. shooting the promotional video for Radiology Toolbox at the Factory Studios in Brooklyn.

The reinventing of text books for the iPad

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:06:05 -0500

Another interesting article by Mike Miliard in HealthcareITNews about the iPad in medical education.

… new Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that, “80 percent of the top hospitals in the U.S. are now testing or piloting the iPad.”

The article goes on to discuss new forms of digital textbooks being pioneered by companies, Inkling and Kno.

It will be fascination to see how these new learning tools develop.

"IT’S BEEN CALLED the Gig Economy, Freelance Nation, the Rise of the Creative Class, and the..."

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:30:22 -0400

“IT’S BEEN CALLED the Gig Economy, Freelance Nation, the Rise of the Creative Class, and the e-conomy, with the “e” standing for electronic, entrepreneurial, or perhaps eclectic. Everywhere we look, we can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massi”

- Freelance Nation

Initial iOS 5 Test - OK

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:19:00 -0400

The initial testing of Radiology Toolbox Pro and Radiology Toolbox Lite shows no issues running on the latest operating system upgrade, iOS 5.

Designing Health

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:05:06 -0400

Here are some interesting articles regarding how good design can contribute to good health care.

From Fast Company Design:

Six Ways To Improve Doctors’ Waiting Rooms

Badly Designed Electronic Medical Records Can Kill You

Can Design Get People To Take Their Meds?

npr: RIP, Steve Jobs. A giant has passed.The world is a...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:02:29 -0400

npr:

RIP, Steve Jobs.

A giant has passed.
The world is a smaller place.

Radiology Toolbox Pro Now Available in iTunes App Store!

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:03:24 -0400

Radiology Toolbox Pro

Now Available in iTunes App Store!

Radiology Toolbox Pro submitted to the App Store

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:41:10 -0400

Softcode Systems’ new app for the iPad and iPhone - Radiology Toolbox Pro, was submitted today to the Apple iTunes App Store for review.

This app expands on our first release, soon to be renamed as Radiology Toolbox Lite, The introductory version has been downloaded more than 24,000 times by members of the medical community in over 85 countries.

Many of the new tools in this version were suggested by the users of the introductory version. New tools are currently in development for future upgrades.

Here is another peek at some of the features of Radiology...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:00:05 -0400

Here is another peek at some of the features of Radiology Toolbox Pro from Softcode Systems, coming soon to the Apple iTunes App Store.

Here is an advanced look at some of the features of Radiology...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:47:47 -0400

Here is an advanced look at some of the features of Radiology Toolbox Pro from Softcode Systems, coming soon to the Apple iTunes App Store.

Inspiring Article, "Visualizing medical data: The da Vinci touch"

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:06:00 -0400

Keeley Wray from Children’s Hospital Boston’s blog, Vector, has written a challenge for developers for appeal to the senses in designing health information displays.

Tools may have clinical utility, but if they’re not enjoyable to look at or easy to use, they’ll likely fail in the marketplace. For this reason, hospitals need da Vincis: people who can traverse easily between art, mathematics and science.

MobileHealthWatch has a nice overview of tablet devices as part of the whole IT ecosystem for...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:37:00 -0400

MobileHealthWatch has a nice overview of tablet devices as part of the whole IT ecosystem for hospitals, physician’s offices, etc.

Guest blog: Tips for tablet maintenance

(And no, the article does not tell you how to keep your screen fingerprint free.)

Radiology Toolbox reaches Twenty Thousand Downloads

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:29:00 -0400

The introductory version of Radiology Toolbox, the iPad and iPhone app from Softcode Systems reached it’s twenty thousandth download today. The app has been downloaded by physicians, nurses and technologists in 85 countries! Watch for the updated Pro version later this summer. Many more tools, including renal cyst CT criteria, pediatric spleen and kidney size, thyroid uptake, and MRI intracranial hemorrhage charts have been added at our users request. Thanks again for all the support.

iPad EMR Apps

Sun, 29 May 2011 00:00:06 -0400

The Software Advice blog has a nice overview to using Electronic Medical records on the iPad, iPad EMR Apps - A Guide to Electronic Medical Records. It lists the top 10 EMR vendors, discusses how the iPad is being used with web based EMR, and native iPad solutions. It sounds like native iPad EMR is not yet ready for prime time, I firmly believe that tablet interfaces with EMR will be as much a part of future medical practice as the stethoscope.