Nearly everyone has heard the tagline, “There’s an app for that.” Well do you think there is an app for checking your vision? How about an app for diagnosing an illness? If you answered yes, you’d be right. But should you use them? Probably not.
Remember: Just because it’s a smartphone, that doesn’t mean it can’t make mistakes.
Doctors and nurses at Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA), hospitals were asked if they recommended the medical apps and all said no. Although it would be neat to scan your knee with your phone and take your own X-ray, the technology is just not there. What is there is a hodge-podge of apps that could be in some cases utilized by doctors such as the eye vision test but in most cases just not reliable. Without the correct medical knowledge and experience the average American could misdiagnosis a condition and do more harm than good. Also, apps are made by separate companies and in some cases individuals. An app can be downloaded onto your phone and actually steal sensitive medical information if it is malicious.
These are all many reasons to stay away from medical apps. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours waiting on hold to speak to your doctor’s office. Several area hospitals, including the nationally recognized Sentara Healthcare, based in Norfolk, VA, have online programs that allow you to use your home computer or smartphone to check test results, order refills of prescription medications, schedule appointments and leave notes for your doctor.
Other useful health apps help you track your calorie intake and exercise programs. So, although we are not ready for the futuristic Star Trek sick bay, we can do more than ever with the help of medical technology.
CT
About the Editors: The Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm, which has offices in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC), edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as pro bono services.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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