How many people have gone to a doctor’s office with an ache, pain, or ailment of some kinds, spent an hour listening to explanations and treatment plans, and come out completely confused about the cause of their discomfort? Plenty of patients have had this experience, largely due to limited knowledge of anatomy and medical jargon. For example, do you know what (or where) the scapula is – without looking it up on Google? Or if a doctor was discussing a blockage in your aorta, you might know that it is attached to your heart, but you may not realize that it’s the largest artery in your body, responsible for pumping the majority of blood into your body. Having this key information could definitely change the way you react to news of a blockage and your understanding of how serious the situation is. Now consider the other side of the equation. Doctors spend years in medical school learning about every inch of the body, inside and out, in technical terms. So it can be understandably difficult to relate complex diagnoses and procedures to patients with only a basic understanding of human anatomy and the medical field. Luckily, DrawMD aims to help.

For doctors seeking a way to make their interactions with patients more fruitful, the apps in the DrawMD series, which were developed by two surgeons on a mission to improve doctor-patient communications, are a great tool. And there are several areas of special interest covered. To date there are ten apps under the DrawMD banner: Orthopedics, Cardiology, ENT, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Urology, Vascular, OBGYN, Anesthesia & Critical Care, and Female Pelvic Surgery. Each app is free to download for the iPad only, and all provide you with a new and improved way to interface with patients where their care is concerned. Considering that a picture is worth a thousand words, these applications stand to save the average doctor quite a bit of time.

But how do the programs work? The functionality is very simple. Each application comes with a series of color graphics described as background images. For cardiology, this could include several heart diagrams. For female pelvic surgery…well, you get the idea. But what makes these apps truly outstanding is that every image is customizable to the patient or procedure being discussed. For example, there are diagrams that depict certain common ailments associates with a particular area. Like under general surgery you can find an image of a hernia that will help to explain exactly what has befallen the patient and how treatment will proceed. However, there is more to it.

You can also utilize each app’s library of stamps to help make a basic image more complete, as well as use the freehand drawing feature to supplement this visual anatomy lesson with your own circles, lines, and notes, John Madden style. And if you can’t find or draw the images you require, you can always import images that will help you to better explain a particular situation. Saving, exporting, and printing are also possible so that you can keep a copy in the patient’s file or send him/her home with a visual aid to help explain the situation to loved ones. Just about every medical professional, from those that undergo CNA training in Charlotte, NC to those who become MDs in New Mexico, can find a use for these handy apps, even though they’re not entirely comprehensive. For the doctor or nurse looking to communicate more effectively with patients, the DrawMD apps are a godsend

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