DocGuide (Free)
Version – 1.1
REVIEW – “What’s up Doc?”
DocGuide.com is an application that will allow you to not only read a variety of articles on different topics ranging from Allergies to Viral Infections, but also to discuss them with colleagues! One of the nicest features of this app is that, while there are probably less total articles in this app than there are in some of the similar offerings by other developers, virtually all of the articles are complete. This is refreshing if you have already tried some of the other applications that have similar functionality.
When you first open up the app the first thing you have to do is create an account with DocGuide.com. This is mildly irritating, but the process is not a difficult one, and can be done fairly quickly. Once you have finished with that, you will be taken to the “Home screen” where you will see a compilation of the latest articles on a variety of topics. Several options for sorting to articles on the fields you have selected. You can either sort all of the articles by those added since your last visit, by those added in the past 7 days or in the past month. You can also choose whether you will view the “most popular” articles or if you will view the “most recent” ones. This allows you to not only see the “what’s new” but also which articles are generating the most interest.
On the bottom menu there are 4 other options. The “Colleagues” button is only important if you are a licensed physician. This button will allow you to view information about other physicians in your field, as well as communicate opinions and experience with them. Since I’m not a licensed physician I can’t tell you too much about this part, because you must validate as a physician to access it.
The next menu option is the “My Topics” button. This is exactly the same as the “Home” screen, except for the fact that you get to limit the articles you see to the topics you are most interested in. You set these preferences when you sign up, and can quickly edit them from within the app by pressing the “Edit” button in the upper right corner of the “My Topics” screen. The “My Sources” tab, which is also in the menu at the bottom of the screen, is exactly the same as the “My Topics” screen except it allows you to only view articles from medical journals that you trust.
The final option on the menu is the “More” tab. From here you can easily access all of the settings for the app, as well as view information about the app and send feedback to the developer. Most of these options are pretty self explanatory, and this screen also makes an easy way to access any articles that you might have “starred” to look at later.
All that said, this is not a bad app. Unfortunately, while it does have a lot of information, most of the information seems to be more easily accessed from other “free” apps. The articles seem to be mostly full text, and where they are not the full text can be easily brought up if you have a subscription to the source of the article. I have seen several people comment that the articles seem to be fairly biased, but not being a doctor I am not qualified to comment there.
This app is very easy to use but its major downfall is that the interface is a little redundant in some areas. I would recommend all doctors to at least take a look at this app. For most people who want “non-physician” accounts, the mandatory registration and some of the restrictions may not be worth it.
- David H.
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Developer – Doctor’s Guide Publishing Limited
URL:
http://beta.docguide.com/iphone
DEVELOPERS NOTES
The DocGuide iPhone App offers you:
Sources You Trust
* Articles & abstracts from 2000+ peer-reviewed journals
* Dispatches from top national & international conferences
* Updates from the most respected medical news organizations
Colleagues You Know
* Doctor-only community
* Contributors are validated, so you know they are doctors like you
* Follow the stars & comments posted by hand-picked respected colleages
Insights You Share
* Never miss must-read articles, thanks to the DocuGuide Star System
* Read the views of fellow doctors on the implications of medical advances and developments
* Gain and share insight with colleagues you personally know and trust
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
New to DocGuide? If you reacently had trouble registering for a DocGuide membership, please try again or email us at [email protected] for support.
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© 2009, amy. All rights reserved.