The Best Android Apps for Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals

When we published our list of the best medical iPhone apps for doctors and students, we had so many requests for a follow up post highlighting medical apps for the Android operating system that we had to do it. We've reduced the over 1,200 "Health" apps in the Android Marketplace to 18 categories and 60 apps designed for doctors, nurses and students. We've specifically geared the chosen apps towards those professions and away from consumers.As with the iPhone, there is unfortunately a shortage of quality apps for accessing electronic health record programs.

Our methodology was simple. We sifted through all 1,200 apps in the Health category and pulled out the highest rated, most relevant apps for doctors, nurses and students in the respective categories. Each category is sorted by most popular app, as determined by the ratings in the Android Marketplace. You'll probably see a lot of the same brand name apps that were listed in our best medical iPhone apps list.

Before You Start

One thing to note before you dive into this list is that each app listed below is linked to its profile on Androlib.com, the definitive database for Android Marketplace apps. That profile contains pricing information, ratings, version number and download size.

Each app profile on Androlib.com also contains an image of a QR code, which looks like a UPC code. Once you download the Barcode Scanner app from the Android Marketplace, you'll have a couple of new options for downloading apps. Here are two ways to download apps via QR code on Androlib.com:

1. Scan your monitor. Launch the Bar Scanner app and scan your actual monitor (the QR code image itself) with your Android phone. Tap “Open in Market” button that pops up and you will be directed to that app, in the Android Marketplace.
2. Tap the image. If you're viewing an app's QR code on your Android phone, you can simply tap the image of the code and you will be directed to the Android Marketplace where you can download the app.

Leave any suggestions in the comment section and we'll update the list if we see a good app we missed.

Note: Descriptions were written by the app's developer.

All-in-One

SkyScape Medical Resources – Free – Skyscape Medical Resources is a collection of medical information and decision support resources for healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, PAs, NPs, medical students, nursing students and more. When you install the App, it will download your free resources which include RxDrugs, OCM & Archimedes.

Lexi-Comp – Free – Keep updated with Lexi-Comp’s trusted clinical knowledge, now at the touch of a button. This application includes 30-days of access to all databases Lexi-Comp offers for your Android phone. Plus hundreds of images, calculations, and tables available with a cell or wifi connection, so you’re never without answers again.

Anatomy

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy – $76.95 – Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy is the most loved and best selling anatomy atlas in the English language. Based on the phenomenal medical artwork of Dr. Frank H. Netter, full-color anatomic illustrations allow users to test themselves on key anatomic structures and relationships.

999 Medical Anatomy Terms Quiz – $2.29 – Learn hundreds of anatomy and physiology definitions through multiple choice quizzes, flashcards and dictionaries.

Anatomy of the Brain – $1.99 – Anatomy of the Brain is a fully-featured flash card app that helps you learn the names, locations, and functions of over 125 parts of the brain. Perfect for doctors, nurses, medical students or anyone interested in medicine.

Calculators

Mediquations Med Calculator – $4.99 – The most comprehensive medical calculator on Android. With 223 formulas and scoring tools and an intuitive interface, Mediquations makes getting the answers you need quick and painless.

MediCalc – $.99 – MediCalc contains over 70 of the most commonly used medical equations and scoring tools. It has a very simple UI with formulas broken down by specialty and systems.

Medical Calculator – $2.99 – MedCalc includes 58 of the most important medical calculators and scoring tools for the G1 android phone. It incorporates a simple and fast interface and provides comprehensive results maximizing your time caring for patients.

InfusionCalc – $.99 – Great tool for paramedics and nurses. Enter the dosage ordered (mcg/kg/mind), drug on hand (mg or mcg), fluid volume (ml), drop factor, and patient's weight (kg or lbs).

Cardiology

Cardio Calc – Free – This app contains cardiology clinical calculators and decision support tools, Framingham & Reynolds risk score, CHADS2 and much more. It is designed for anyone managing patients with heart disease disease or lipid disorders.

Cardiovascular Pharmacology – $1.99 – This is a fully-featured flash card app that helps you learn about cardiovascular pharmacology.

EKGdroid – $3.99 – This is a simple arrhythmia guide for Android devices. Each component of the EKG is explained.

Dentists

Dentistry Terms – $1.25 – This Dentist Glossary application is a dictionary of all things having to do with Dentistry. They have included abbreviations, definitions, a glossary of terms, and many more Dentistry Terms.

Clinical Decision Support

Medicine Central – $159.95 – Medicine Central is an integrated mobile and web reference built specifically for physicians, students, residents, and nurse practitioners. Medicine Central brings you comprehensive point-of-care content on the essentials of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for over 700 diseases and disorders in a quick-read format.

Merck Manual Suite – $79.95 – The Merck Manual Suite plus Davis’s Drug Guide combines three references to create a complete point-of-care solution for clinicians. This package integrates expert descriptions of diagnosis and management of diseases with an A to Z symptoms guide and an award-winning drug guide.

Drug Facts Platinum – $149.95 – This app combines the most comprehensive drug database (A to Z Drug Facts) with a powerful interactions product (Drug Interaction Facts) and over 300 natural product monographs (The Review of Natural Products) for complete point-of-care drug coverage.

Diagnosaurus DDx – $.99 – Quickly search over 1,000 differential diagnoses by organ system, symptom, disease, or browse all entries to help you reach an accurate diagnosis.

Dictionaries

Concise Oxford Medical Dictionary – $14.99 – An Oxford Medical dictionary with over 10,000 terms used in modern medicine.

BKS Medical Dictionary – $19.95 – The Medical Dictionary for Android, contains easy-to-understand explanations of over 38,000 medical terms.

Medical Terminology – $.75 – A dictionary with over 500 medical words.

Drug Reference

Epocrates – Free – Quickly and easily access reliable drug information with Epocrates Rx beta. It provides multiple clinical tools in one easy-to-use application. Join more than 950,000 healthcare professionals who rely on Epocrates’ innovative clinical products to make more confident decisions at the point of care. (SD card is required)

SkyScape RXDrugs – Free – Skyscape's RxDrugs Dosing Companion provides dosing guidelines on thousands of commonly used brand and generic drugs and now includes nearly 400 integrated weight-based drug dosing calculators. Continuously updated dosing guidelines on a variety of medications, including antimicrobial, cardiovascular and many more.

Davis's Drug Guide – $49.95 – Davis’s Drug Guide delivers up-to-date, comprehensive, and practical information on over 5,000 trade name and generic drugs. Look up information on dosing and administration, safety, interactions, and patient teaching.

A2ZDrugs – $49.95 – A2ZDrugs is the handheld version of A To Z Drug Facts, the easy-to-use drug guide with the latest FDA approvals, indications, dosages, side effects, and patient care considerations.

Eyecare

Ophthalmology Glossary – $1.25 – Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eye, hairs, and areas surrounding the eye, such as the lacrimal system and eyelids. To help you navigate this special issue on Ophthalmology, we have created a comprehensive Glossary on the subject.

Ophthalmology – $2.99 – Ophthalmology is a fully-featured flash card app that helps you learn about ophthalmology.

Games

Speed Anatomy – Free – How fast can you point to your liver, gall bladder or incisor? Speed Anatomy is an addictive game that tests your speed and challenges your knowledge of human anatomy.

450 Medical Slang Terms Quiz – $.99 – Includes 450 slang terms. Nurses, Doctors, and medical professionals use humorous euphemisms and slang to deal with serious situations. Review flash cards, online dictionary, and glossary.

General Reference

5-Minute Clinical Consult – $79.95 – The 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 5MCC, delivers to-the-point guidance on diagnosis and treatment of 700+ medical conditions seen in everyday practice. These include diagnosis, treatment, medications, follow-up, ICD-9 coding, and patient teaching.

PubMed Mobile – Free – Search the PubMed database with over 19 million citations for biomedical articles and life science journals.

Medical Glossary – $1.25 – This app is a comprehensive A to Z listing of medical terminology. The glossary contains thousands of terms, acronyms, institutions, lingo, descriptions, and definitions all about medicine, and practicing medicine.

Medical Abbreviations – $2.99 – Medical Abbreviations provides simple, fast and convenient access to more than 1,800 medical abbreviations at your fingertips. Easily search the abbreviations and definitions and see the search results as you type.

ICD Code Look Up

ICD-10 – $2.99 – Now you can see the new ICD-10 codes that will replace the current ICD-9. Works off-line and it contains more than 32,500 searchable codes.

ICD-9 – $2.99 – ICD-9 application gives you the latest ICD9-CM diagnosis codes on your mobile. If you need to quickly and easily find a code from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), get it now onto your mobile.

Lab Tests

Davis's Lab & Diagnostic Tests – $49.95 – Davis's Labratory and Diagnostic Tests is a nursing reference that puts hundreds of laboratory and diagnostic test monographs at your fingertips. Each entry delivers information on how the test works, how to accurately interpret results, and how to provide the best care to your patients before, during and after a test.

Labs 360 – $49.95 – Labs 360° is a clinically oriented laboratory guide written for the healthcare provider who wants to understand what a given test is, its clinical significance, and how the test can aide in patient diagnosis and treatment.

Normal Lab Values – $4.99 – Lab Values helps you in accessing the quick information to the common laboratory values. Around 150 common laboratory values are compiled in this application. You even have an option of adding a new category and a new lab value.

Mental Health

Psychiatry Q&A – $9.99 – Prepare for your certification, re-certification, USMLE, shelf exams, or rotations with Psychiatry Q&A. The app has 100 questions designed for students, residents, fellows, attendings, nurses, and physician assistants.

Psych Drugs – Free – Learn important and useful information (drug names, indications, etc) for psychotropic medications such as antidepressants (depression), antipsychotics (psychosis), mood stabilizers (bipolar), and anti-anxiety (OCD, panic, PTSD) medications.

Psych Facts – Free – Learn about mental health topics such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, ADHD, drugs, eating disorders and schizophrenia. This app contains hundreds of facts.

Nursing

Nursing Central – $159.95 – Nursing Central is the complete mobile solution for nursing that includes Davis’s Drug Guide, Taber’s Medical Dictionary, Diseases and Disorders, Davis’s Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, and Unbound MEDLINE. Look up information on diseases, tests, and procedures.

RNotes – $29.95 – RNotes is a quick-reference application that puts the latest clinically-focused nursing information at your fingertips, helping you improve patient care. Find answers fast with conveniently organized content. The new third edition also helps you prepare for the NCLEX examinations by noting topics covered on the exam.

Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis – $39.95 – Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis helps nurses reach an accurate diagnosis with speed and confidence by identifying collaborative problems, addressing the special needs of specific populations, and linking clinical situations to a specific diagnosis using the latest NANDA-approved list. Also includes NIC and NOC lists.

Nursing Pharmacology – $2.99 – Nursing Pharmacology application helps you learn all about the nursing pharmacology. It contains over 140 flash cards.

Mini-Nurse – Free – An app made for student nurses and those who wish to know a little more about nursing. Contains dosage calculations, med abbreviations, and more.

Pediatrics

Pediatrics Central – $179.95 – Pediatrics Central Dx + ID + Rx is the complete solution for pediatric information at the point-of-care. Look up detailed disease and drug information in 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, Red Book, A to Z Drug Facts, Drug Interaction Facts, and MEDLINE Journals.

Pediatrics Q&A – $9.95 – Prepare for your certification, recertification, USMLE, shelf exams, or rotations with Pediatrics: PhysicianBoardReview Q&A. The app has 100 questions designed for students, residents, fellows, attendings, nurses, and physician assistants.

PALS – $2.99 – Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is a fully-featured flash card app that helps you learn how to effectively respond to a pediatric emergency. Perfect for doctors, nurses, paramedics, pediatricians, medical students or anyone interested in medicine.

Pronunciations/Translations

Taber's Medical Dictionary – $49.95 – Taber’s Medical Dictionary is the most complete medical dictionary with over 60,000 entries, 9,000 new and revised terms, 1,000 illustrations, and 30,000 audio pronunciations.

Merriam-Webster Medical – Free – A concise guide to the essential language of medicine with more than 39,000 entries, including English audio pronunciations.

Medical Spanish – $6.99 – The Emergency Medical Spanish Guide (EMSG) is a tool designed for non-Spanish speaking health care professionals to quickly ascertain vital medical information from their patients.

Study Guides

Medical Mnemonics – $1.99 – Medical Mnemonics puts 1500+ clever acronyms, rhymes, and memory tricks on your Android, on topics ranging from Anatomy and Biochemistry to Pharmacology and Surgery.

MCAT Prep Chem – $2.99 – The MCAT Prep Chem app covers all of the aspects of MCAT prep; general & organic chemistry. All the content is arranged by topic and category for easy navigation.

MCAT Prep Bio – $2.99 – The MCAT Prep Bio app covers all the aspects of MCAT prep: molecular bio, genetics, etc. All the content is arranged by topic and category for easy navigation.

999 Medical Anatomy Terms – $1.29 – Multiple choice quiz, flashcards, and dictionary. Post your score online for global ranking. Record and review correct and incorrect answers with email. Text message quizzes to friends. Recent upgrades include hundreds of new heart, muscle, blood, CNS, and skeletal terms.

For a full list of medical apps for the Android operating system, check out the Android Marketplace on your smartphone or head over to the Android Library.