A screenshot from Boston Scientific’s new CardioTeach
iPad app.
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) unveiled the industry’s first iPad app designed to help doctors educate patients about heart disease and treatments.
The colorful program allows doctors and patients to access information about heart conditions and treatments in an interactive way, joining other programs in Boston Scientific’s growing app portfolio.
"Most medical device apps are designed to educate physicians on a specific product or therapy," Dr. Leslie Saxon, chief of cardiovascular medicine at University of Southern California, said in prepared remarks. "CardioTeach is unique because it lets clinicians better educate patients about their overall heart and vascular health and available treatment options."
MassDevice staff downloaded the app, which is available for free on the iTunes market, and we found it easy to use and understand.
The language is catered to the lay user and the information is structured around questions a patient is likely to have about coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart rhythm disorders and other heart diseases.
The best part may be that the application allows the user to log typed notes for each section, draw on the diagrams and send the complete information via email.
Other Boston Scientific offerings include the Neuromodulation Learning Institute app, an educational resource for patients managing chronic pain using spinal cord stimulation; and Latitude Connected, an app allowing doctors to monitor implanted devices, access patient records and schedule follow-up care.
"A recent study shows that one in five physicians use a tablet computer in their practice," cardiac rhythm management chief medical officer Dr. Kenneth Stein said in a press release. "Creating an app that enables health care professionals to use this technology to enhance communication with patients and caregivers is a logical extension of our efforts to empower patients with information about Boston Scientific’s therapies."
