GI Education

There are many applications available to download on tablets and phones for nurses and other healthcare providers to educate their patients. In my research of the topic, I found a few apps that seem to be quite beneficial. These include the MedScape app, Human Anatomy Apps, and TouchSurgery.

MedScape offers explanations of the drugs and conditions, including the pathophysiology of the disease. You can select conditions such as hemorrhoids and the app will provide information about the causes & treatment of hemorrhoids. In another area of the app, the procedure for removal of rectal hemorroids is explained with pictures.

The Human Anatomy Apps offer diagrams of organ systems which is useful as a reference & aiding explanation of the patient’s condition. There are 3-D diagrams of organ systems which aid in educating patients.

In the TouchSurgery app, it offers a background of the condition and symptoms, and allows you to virtually navigate the surgery. One surgery included in the app is a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It provides a very detailed demonstration of the procedure, which patients may want to view.

These apps can be useful in education patients of the anatomy and physiology of the GI tract as well as basic pathophysiology & treatment of their condition. They can help the nurse educate and stress the importance of medication regimens and treatment rationales, as well as explaining to the patient and their family about home-care.

The setbacks to these apps is that they aren’t peer-reviewed and there isn’t a clear way to tell that they are medically accurate.