Mobile Apps & Resources: Choosing Wisely Canada

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To keep you updated on the go, our ‘app of the month’ highlights one free informational app every month!

Librarian reviewers consider the audience and purpose of the apps, as well as highlighting additional features:
 
  • In the ‘Evidence’ section, we assess how easily an app user can identify the app’s currency and support from the evidence
  • In the ‘Usability’ section, we assess the organization of information and other usability factors that may contribute to user experience

Our complete grading criteria for evidence and usability are embedded in the review.

Please note that the reviewers are not healthcare professionals, and so cannot appraise the quality of any recommendations within the app. The reviews are not endorsements.

View the AHS policy on Mobile Wireless Devices and Services.

 

Choosing Wisely Canada

 

Choosing Wisely Canada

Reviewers

Ashley Jane Leonard & Marcus Vaska

Version reviewed

1.3.8

Device & OS used

Android Galaxy A5 (2017); 7.0 (AJL) / iPad, iOS 11.2 (MV)

Date of review

May 4, 2018 (AJL) / April 29, 2018 (MV)

 

 

Image Source: Choosing Wisely Canada, Apple App Store. ​Retrieved on May 10, 2018 from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/choosing-wisely-canada/id933897108

App developer

Chi-Ming Chow MD MSc FRCPC & Edward Brawer BSc (Honours).

 

The App is hosted by USquare Soft Inc, and powered by medsquares.

 

Contact

Contact information is not provided within the app. The App has been created in conjunction with https://choosingwiselycanada.org/ and it is possible to contact staff there (although contact information for the app developers is not provided)

info@choosingwiselycanada.org;

usquaresoft@gmail.com;

http://usquaresoft.com/

 

Devices

iPhone, iPad and iPod touch 
iOS 7.0 or later 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/choosing-wisely-canada/id933897108
March 28, 2017

Android OS
Android 4.1 or later https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.choosingwiselycanada.CWC
September 11, 2017

 

Country of origin

Canada

Size

13.8 MB

Specialties/
Disciplines

A wide range of medical specialties are targeted with this App.

Information directed towards patients is also provided.

Physicians, Nurses, Residents, medical students. 

Comments

Choosing Wisely has been marketed as a campaign for physicians to engage with patients; according to Choosing Wisely.org, it has been reviewed by both clinicians and patient groups.

 

Stated Purpose

Google Play:

Choosing Wisely aims to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is supported by evidence, not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received, free from harm, and truly necessary.

 

In response to this challenge, national organizations representing medical specialists asked their providers to “choose wisely” by identifying tests or procedures commonly used in their field whose necessity should be questioned and discussed. The resulting lists of “Things Providers and Patients Should Question” are intended to spark discussion about the need—or lack thereof—for many frequently ordered tests or treatments.

[Taken from Google Play store] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phillydevshop.choosingwisely&hl=en_US

The app contains a series of guidelines (lists) creating awareness of things physicians and patients should discuss together before a patient undergoes what may be deemed an unnecessary test.

Notes

 

 

Part 1: Editorial committee, content updates, and evidence grading

This App brings together conversation topics for physicians and patients to discuss on various health topics, procedures etc.

 

These conversation topics are backed by evidence-based recommendations, which are listed within the summary topics. Links to these references are provided, where possible.

 

These conversation points are all linked to specialty specific professional organization.

 

Information is also provided about the process for creating the ‘Top 5/ Top 10’ talking/ question points’, which lends to their credibility.

 

Part 2: Source and authorship information for 3 entries

The evidence provided for the ‘For Doctor’ summary topics is presented much more clearly than in the ‘For Patients’ summary topics; it is much more robust in nature.

 

Within the ‘For Doctors’ summary topics, the evidence being referred to is clearly listed, and links are provided to the reference documentation, where possible. While individual author affiliations are not listed, the relevant professional organizations involved in the creation of the material ARE listed.

 

In the case of the ‘For Patient’ summary topics, no reference lists are provided. The affiliation information for the relevant professional organization is listed however, as is the Consumers Union of United States.

Organization of information

A navigation menu is provided within the App, allowing users to move between the 3 available menu options: Summary / Videos / Library.

 

Within the ‘Summary’ and ‘Library’ sections, the information is listed alphabetically and has been divided up between Doctor & Patient focused information.

 

However -- using the ‘Library’ menu option requires some scrolling in order to reach the Patient information. It is not fully clear that information type exists within the Library until you scroll down.

Navigation

The information within the app is generally easy to navigate.

Each entry contains a summary (divided into For Doctors, For Patients), as well as a Library tab where the full lists are presented. 

User account required: No Internet connection required for use: Yes internet connection is required in order to access the information available within the App; Text search field: Yes You cab search within each of the menu options (Summary / Videos / Library)Browsable content: Yes Divided into subjectsAdvertisements: No; Pop-up advertisements: No; In-app purchases: No

 

 

No customization per say, however the app is fully bilingual, containing both English and French content.

Information is available to view and to print as a PDF.