Medical Software

SOFTWARE AS A TOOL IN MEDICINE   

"The aim of computer software in medicine is not to replace the medical professional but to hone skills and improve patient care. The existing software in the market is also geared towards this goal..."           

           Medicine is a very complex and challenging field of knowledge. To date, the functionality called experience, intuition, gut feeling or skill cannot be replaced by even the most powerful computer software. No computer in the world can tell you whether the patient appears anemic, afraid or depressed. Thus the purpose of using computers in the medical field is not to replace the medical professionals but to enhance, augment and extend their capabilities. This, in turn, would lead to a better, more cost effective patient care. 

            Computers go where humans cannot. We are deficient in calculating fast, storing and retrieving large amounts of information, searching for specific information, graphical representation, color manipulation, storage and reproduction of images and sound, communicating at high speed, acquiring and manipulating non-perceptible signals emanating from various parts of human body and so on. 

            These are the areas where computers and electronics can help immensely. Like a stethoscope or sonography machine, computers are also a tool. The difference is that a computer is a very versatile tool. A sonography machine cannot be made to mange CT scans. However the same computer can be programmed to manage accounts, patient care, clinical trials, medical literature search and even play games. Thus the use of computers in medicine could be more exciting. Once you have a computer, you can potentially use it for many purposes based upon your imagination and available software. 

            In this issue, Dr.KSM is reviewing some of the common types of medical software available in India.

Practice Management software : 

            This software is typically useful for individual consultants, general practitioners, nursing homes and diagnostic centers. Practice management software simplifies the management of patient registration, billing and prescribing. Some additional features can also include management of patient records. Typically, this software would need to be used by multiple persons like the nursing staff, doctors and accountants. Therefore, a network with multiple computers would be ideal.

Hospital management software : 

            Hospital Management software is typically used by medical institutions with over 50 beds. Though as functional as the practice management software, it has a much higher level of sophistication. Typical hospital management related modules are admission discharge. Transfer, inventory, purchase, tenders, pharmacy, diet management is also an important aspect of HMS software. Imaging systems like digital radiography can be integrated with HMS for providing a single point of contact for any medical or administrative data.

Patient counseling software : 

            This software is used to explain diseases, pathology, treatment modalities, physiological concepts to patients and their relatives and can even be demonstrated  to the patient at the clinic. Till recently, sketches or clay models were used. However, this software uses images, animations, voice annotation, and graphics and simplifies the process of counseling and helps the patient to understand his condition better.

Educational software : 

            These software make learning interactive and fun. The toughest topics of gross/ radiological anatomy or physiology can be made simpler with the effective use of graphics to simplify concepts. Interactive tutorials and quizzes help to test the student’s learning. Similar software for clinical subjects help to hone the diagnostic skills and supplement what is learnt in the wards.

The ideal medical software : 

            Doctors would like to enhance maximum possible functionality using the power and flexibility of the computer. Thus any software which matches the medical needs with all the features available with computer technology in a simple manner is ideal. If there is a different software for patient registration, medical records, image management, prescribing and academics, the doctor has to learn multiple software products. This is time-consuming and inefficient. Thus a single software which has all these features will be much simpler to handle and utilize effectively. Although perfect software does not exist in any area, software developers are aiming to reach perfection.

How Dr.KSM evaluated the software :

The following aspects were considered while evaluating the software.

Features : 

             A doctor or clinician has specific needs for managing patient information like billing, tracking and analysis of accumulated data. The features offered by each software were evaluated to ensure their adequacy. Unlike other professions like accounting or manufacturing, the information accumulation and reporting requirements of doctors are not standardized. Therefore, flexibility is an important aspect of any medical data management software. Clinical formats, report designs, billing methodology, discount or commissions, etc need to be changeable as per individual requirements. Absence of this type of flexibility would be a significant drawback. Comprehensiveness of the features was also considered. For example, if you have an appointment scheduler, you can simply add a grid with fixed time  slots or you can allow configuration of available time slots as per the individual doctor’s sessions.

Ease of use : 

Formal training of computer usage is typically never imparted to the medical professionals as a part of their education. Therefore, the medical software must be easy to understand and use.

The ease of use was evaluated in various ways :

How easy it is for the user to know that a feature exits?

How easy it is to find out where the features is and use it ?

How related features are cross referenced?

How well does the online help explain the usage of each option ?

How are data entry errors handled ?

User Interface : 

            User interface means all the menus, toolbar buttons, dialogs, etc which are used to interact with the software. As UI is the only visible part of the software, it must be consistent and easy to use. For any windows based application software there is a set of User Interface guidelines which all software developers are expected to follow so that it is simpler for users to learn the software. Therefore, in our technical evaluation, we considered the adherence to common interface guidelines like menu placement, toolbar design, online help, choice of screen elements, error messages and consistent use of design elements among others.

Installation ad uninstallation :

            Any software must have a simple installation mechanism. If the software is distributed on the CD, the setup should automatically run when the CD is inserted. If the application is a multi-user software, you must have a server setup and a client setup. Installation process should prompt the user for the drive, directory, program group and other relevant options. 

            Uninstallation of the software should also be possible through the menu group crated. Or else, the Add Remove programs from the control panel should be able to uninstall the software completely. These points were considered in technical evaluation.

Practice Management Software 

CCPL GP-Assist ver 3.0

Quick summary :

This is a practice management software for general practitioners and has facilities for administrative and financial management of a clinic. Many common medical functions like prescribing, vaccination, etc are also available. It also supports multiple fonts for providing multilingual facilities for patient instructions and prescriptions. Overall, a good feature-rich software for managing general practice.

Content : 

This software provides menus for managing transactions, master or base data, reports and many utilities.

Appointments are managed using an easy grid which indicates the day and time slot. Appointment can be managed for multiple doctors, in case of a polyclinic, and later printed for reference A patient’s records are easily entered. The software keeps track of the patient particulars, investigations, ECG and other laboratory parameters, growth charts, immunization status, etc. If the patient is the family head, all  the billing of the family members is done on his/ her name. This simplifies billing for a general practitioner.

Complaints, prescriptions, billing information and payment status can be easily recorded, retrieved and printed. Payment can be linked to each complaint. Estimates and pending payments are also tracked. Each practitioner may use a slightly different method of immunization. GP- Assist allows doctors to create their own custom immunization schedule.

It is easy to view the details of the patient at a glance without changing too many menus. A small list on the left of the screen lists the various headings. When you click on the heading, more information appears. Many patient information screens have been provided However, these cannot be customized and you cannot create your own format. Thus, this limits the functionality of the software as each doctor is bound to have different case paper formats.

Often, doctors require standard formats for consent forms or referral letters. GP- Assist provides an editor to create your own formats for these letters. Prescribing is easy with GP-Assist. It comes with a list  of many commonly used drugs and brands. You can add or edit this list. Commonly used drug combinations can also be added to this list so that you can prescribe quickly. Prescriptions can be given in any local language.

The personal accounting feature also allows you to manage income, expenses, cash and bankbook, ledger and trial balance. There are a lot of useful reports. Financial reports provide standard information as per the Income Tax Act. Other reports are useful for tracking patients, the work done, pending payments, mailing lists and stocks. Using the mailing list, you can easily perform a mail- merge operation.

One good feature is of patients’ waiting room where the receptionist can enter patient names as they come in The doctor can view the pending patient list from his cabin. This is a very useful feature for a busy practitioner. Personal reminder is also a handy feature for keeping track of things like LIC payment, statutory payments, birthdays, anniversaries or an important assignment or occasion.

Gyn- Assist, Osteo-Assist, Ophth-Assist and ENT- Assist are similar products with base features similar to GP- Assist. The only difference is that depending on the type of speciality, additional forms are included to keep track of special history, examination, investigations, procedures and treatment modalities. Although attempts have been made to create comprehensive forms, the formats cannot be  modified by doctors. Nor can new formats be added. Thus you would have to use only the format supplied by the software.

Technical specifications : 

This software installs easily and takes up approximately 23 MB of space. Every time, you wish to use the software a file check is performed which could take some time.

The user interface is comprehensively designed. However, it does not follow the common Windows User Interface Guidelines. Had they done so, it would have been easier for users to learn the software.

The help is context-sensitive and comprehensive. The demo program is well designed and provides online training to the end user by actually showing how to use the software.

The Audio Visual Demo takes 200 Mb of disk space. The speed of the product was good . The scalability of the software (i.e. number of patients it can handle simultaneously) was not mentioned in the documentation.Though the Uninstall option was not available through the start Menu group, you can uninstall the software using Start menu- Control Panel – Add/ Remove programs option. During uninstalling, this option could not delete the actual program directory.

Accompaniments : 

The manual was available only in the online from. The printed manual was not submitted for testing. The software is distributed on CD-ROM.

Medic

Quick summary :

This software caters to patient records, billing, baseline accounting and patient education. It has been designed like the Windows Explorer. However the navigation is a bit more cumbersome than the familiar Windows Inter face. A graphical recording of examination findings is a very useful feature. Trend analysis allows you to graphically analyze the data you see as text. InfoBase is a good feature that allows you to create your own notes about medical literature, case studies, research papers, publications, etc.

Content : 

Medic starts with a simple user authentication screen and you can directly start managing patients by creating a new patient and entering base details. The main screen also allows you to add information to base master data like diagnosis, symptoms, investigations, drugs, operations, expenses. etc. The interface is like a tree, which expands to show more details.

For each patient, multiple visits are possible. For each visit, standard format for the speciality-related information is provided. You can write about symptoms, signs, examination details, prescriptions, advice, operations performed and investigations. A nice feature of Medic is the ability to enter the examination findings graphically. There are a lot of built-in diagrams of common anatomical regions. You can add more diagrams too. Once a diagram is added, you simply click on a particular spot that you want to describe and then enter your findings about it. It is a neat way of visually entering information about patient findings. The system also allows you to enter differential and probable diagnosis and later analyze it.

Clinical details can be entered using a pre-defined format. There is no facility available to customize the format. However, the coverage is  fairly comprehensive.

Trend analysis and query feature allows you to search for patient details based upon any criteria like time periods, diagnosis, age, sex, etc. The data can be shown graphically for easier understanding, A good feature is the Infobase that allows you to enter notes on Medical Literature, references, etc. in a structured manner with keywords, author, source publication, etc. Later you can quickly search this information for reference.

You can track expenses and income from patients Daily patient register can be generated using this software. It generates the From 3C required by the IT department for this purpose.

Patient counseling is made simpler using the “ Explain to Patient” option. This provides anatomical diagrams of various parts of the body and systems. This can be used to explain to patients about diseases and treatment modalities. The appointment scheduler is easy to use and allows you to look at daily, weekly and monthly schedules.

Technical specifications : 

The software is designed in Sybase Anywhere and Power Builder, Though an attempt has been made to follow the Windows Explorer style interface, the general Windows Interface Guidelines have not been effectively implemented. So, the interface requires getting used to and the toolbar is not customized. Also, the help is not  context sensitive though the response time of the software is good and the InfoBase interface is feature rich. However, macros feature allows you to assign shortcut keys for long or complex text and is useful.

Security is provided by a login. However a particular login cannot be restricted to specific menu options.

Accompaniments : 

The user manual is well-designed though the printing quality is not acceptable especially for screen shots. However, the software is protected by a good quality hardware lock that gets easily installed. Similar software are available for various specialities like GP, gynaecology, pediatrics, surgery, neurology, ENT, ophthalmology and diagnostic laboratories.

Dear Doc

Quick summary :

This is a patient record and clinic management software and provides features for clinical data, appointments prescribing and inventory. One good feature is the query based analysis tool for clinical and other information. The feature set is fairly adequate. However the comprehensiveness of each option could have been enhanced.

Content : 

The patient management option is simple to use. Just add a case paper and specify patient details. Once the patient is added, you can add other clinical details like history, examination, investigations, etc.

The prescription option is very basic and brings up an editor for typing the prescription. Inventory module manages item maintenance, supplies, order issues and receipt. There is a good drug database which can be updated. World time is a nice add-on feature. Appointments can be given easily using the Schedule option. The user interface is well designed here. There is a small editor where you can create custom report formats for common tasks.

The vaccination chart allows you to keep track of immunization status of patients. The billing feature is available. However, you have to type the cost and units for each item in the bill each time which could be cumbersome. The statistical analysis option is well designed. However, medical users will typically not know SQL Query Syntax details (like joins) and other technical stuff. Nevertheless, it is a powerful tool.

Multimedia options simply allow you to hear music, play AVI files, and view pictures. Internet options simply invoke a browser or Windows address book from within the software.

Technical specifications :

The software is written using VB and Access. Though the software interface is good, it does not incorporate common Windows Interface Guidelines. Also, help is not context sensitive. Support information is mentioned in the help file.

Accompaniments :

There was no  printed manual submitted for testing . The online help is adequate. The software is protected against piracy with a hardware lock. The installation process is simple and friendly. The software also allows uninstall from the Start menu group itself . Additional software for other specialities like consultants, pediatricians, radiologists, diagnostic centers are available. However, all clinical case paper formats are fixed. Doctors cannot modify these to suit their needs. This can pose limitations on the widespread use of this software.

Clinico ver 2.7:

Quick summary :

Clinico is a primitive software for laboratory management where various tests are available for biochemistry, histopathology, etc. The formats for the tests are text editor based paragraphs. The method of managing patients is also not very convenient. Reports can be saved for review or repeat printing. It offers a limited functionality for the most basic function of a laboratory, i.e.,. test reporting. As the software is DOS-based, there is a limited use of fonts, colors, etc.

Content :

The software opens with a menu screen. The main screen is the test screen. There are many pre-defined tests, which have a format that is changeable like in a Word Star-like text editor.

To  enter results, you simply edit the blank format and enter values. However, you cannot  directly jump to the value field as the result is a simple text file. Therefore, it is quite cumbersome to enter results. Once you finish entering results, you choose generate reports. Only at this stage, does it ask for patient details. The report can be printed and  saved to a file. These files are the only way of retrieving past results. The charging structure is quite primitive, as you have to specify your charge and commission for each test.

Once report are saved, you can choose the report manger and specify which ones need to be printed. You can also change the report details before the report is printed. This option is password protected. Basic details about the rates  charged and billing information are also available.

Technical Specifications :

            This is a DOS based software. There is nothing wrong with a DOS based software, provided it serves the purpose well. Clinico does provide base features set in a speedy manner. 

            However, the features are not comprehensive enough. For example, the test results are not stored in a database at all. These are simply formatted text files stored as generated reports. Thus every time a patient makes a visit, you cannot compare past value easily. 

            The report formats provide minimal formatting features that are supported only on a typical dot matrix printer. Therefore, fonts, colors, graphs etc, are not supported. Neither is an inventory system available. 

            The installation is quite simple. The software takes up only 2 MB space. However, the Uninstall option is not available. Just deleting the directory is sufficient. 

            Clinico takes up a lot of processor time and  also slowes down other programs.

Accompaniments : 

            The software is distributed on a single floppy. Online help is missing. The manual has to be printed from a document file, which is well designed and comprehensive. A password protection is available for installation and using data in the system.

Hello Doc ver 1.0

Quick summary : 

This is a practice management software. A fairly small feature set for patient records, inventory, prescribing and analysis, the tested version has a few runtime glitches as well. In summary, this is an entry level program, which is yet to provide an adequate feature set.

Content : 

The program has various masters for referring lab, medicines, stocks, medical representatives, etc. The patient information screen provides various options for history, examination possible to incorporate your own format. 

The clinical data module is fairly limited in utility because it provides only a  bare minimum set of demographic and medical entry fields. 

The prescription module is good and allows you to quickly create a prescription using the existing, in built drug database. 

The reports module provides standard reports like patient listing, income generated, outstanding amount, etc. A purchase and inventory module is also provided. The reports include a stock ledger.

Technical specifications : 

The software is written in FoxPro for windows. The design is not very user-friendly. For example, even save exit buttons are not there on all screens. There is no online help available for the clinic version.

Accompaniments : 

The software is distributed on CD and is password protected. There was no printed manual available for the review testing.

Smart Clinic

Quick summary : 

A comprehensive software for clinical data management, with extensive menus,  comprehensive fields for entering medical information, extensive reporting options, elaborate demographics and good prescribing module. The laboratory module is excellent for keeping track of biochemical and imaging related information. The software, however has been designed primarily for the US market, Thus there is a lot of stress on disease coding standards, compliance calculations for Medicare, CPT codes, HL7 and so on. These features are currently unlikely to be used in Indian conditions. The formats for medical record are not changeable. 

Overall, it is feature rich software although there is a mismatch between the needs of Indian medical community and the current feature set of smart clinic.

Content : 

The software starts with a main menu providing linkages to other parts like encounter, maintenance, master files, laboratory results, hospital rounds and so on. 

First you select a patient and then either edit existing information or add more clinical data. The clinical data can be added in various ways. The history and examination screen then appears. Based upon the demographic data the software automatically reminds you regarding screening tests, mammograms to be performed or other medical preventive steps. 

You can create a list of problems as per the ICD coding system. This list remains along with the patient data and is used in the follow-up visits to mark resolved problems. 

You can order tests as well as preview the results of past tests by quickly using a comprehensive screen. The Order screen is well designed and customized. Orders can contain multiple test classes and items. The test repeat frequency can also be mentioned. Pending tests are automatically tracked. 

As a result some tests you can even add a scanned page. ROS ( Review of systems) is a very good option for  quickly entering or reviewing medical information about all systems like CNS,CVS and so on. You can have multiple ROS screens for the patients during follow up visits. The physical examination screen is just some mouse clicks away. If the finding for a particular item, say lymph nodes is marked as abnormal, all the abnormalities are shown as lists, you simply select the abnormality one by one. This definitely reduces the amount of typing required. 

The prescriptions option is well designed and provides easy access to drugs, allergies, interactions, and various types of dosages and past prescriptions. And, once you have prescribed, prescriptions can be saved, printed or even faxed or mailed. 

There are a lot of useful reports available. Some reports like Insurance related reports may currently be irrelevant to Indian doctors. Most other reports are useful. The set up options for the Lab test option are also well designed. You have a hierarchy, which allows you to define multiple laboratories, test groups, constituent tests and values. These tests then can be ordered for the currently selected patient. 

Multiple types of medical fields are supported like cardiology, ENT, orthopedics, etc. 

There is a very interesting Smartvoice option  for entering medical information simply by speaking into the microphone.

Technical specifications : 

The product is written using FoxPro, and Access. It also uses DDE for interacting with the voice engine. The installation and uninstallation is straightforward. The printed documentation is adequate. There was no online help in the version reviewed. 

The response time for actions is slightly below par. The application runs well with the recommended amount of memory. 

The interface is quite crammed and a new user may get anxious when so many  options appear on the screen. The interface is inconsistent, color schemes jarring and arrangement of items unstructured. Although the software uses the mouse very effectively to minimize typing the ease of learning could have been further enhanced with a better interface and menu design. The runtime error handling and memory management also seems to be sub-optimal.

Accompaniments : 

The software was submitted on a CD and protected with a master password scheme. The manual was available only in a printed form in the reviewed version.

Acubase (Intensive Care Management System) 

Quick summary : 

This is a well designed program for managing patient data in an intensive care unit. Apart from providing extensive data analysis capabilities. This program also monitors overall quality of the unit calculates the cost of treatment and also provides extensive scoring mechanism and prognostic information. 

Overall, a good software for intensive care units, though the drawback seems to be that the formats of case papers are not customizable. As the software was designed abroad, all medical parameters may not be usable in the current form.

Content : 

Acubase is quite easy to learn. It concentrates every option around a patient, a new case or an existing one. The patient’s details about personal history, examination, family history, trauma, etc, can be added from a single convenient screen. 

The daily information can then be added periodically while the patient is in the ICU. The daily information screen is very comprehensive and it takes into account parameters, which are required for scoring purpose. Acubase offers various types of scoring systems including APACHE II, TISS  Injury Severity, Glasgow coma score and so on. 

It has extensive daily information charts for investigations, procedures, medical parameters, etc. All parameters are available for scoring systems too. 

The best part of the daily data entry is the graphical analysis of any parameter. Graphical analysis makes it much easier to understand the medical progress rather than  viewing a list of numbers. Other useful graphic display include prognosis graphs, bed occupancy, patient acuity, nursing data etc. 

Treatment plans can be entered and reused for the same patient or other patients. 

One very useful and rarely found feature is nursing resource management. It allows you to keep track of beds occupied, nursing staff adequacy, absenteeism, etc.

Technical specifications : 

Acubase has well defined menus and is easy to grasp and use. The options are mostly controlled through one or two patients related screens and are easy to handle. However the interface has jarring color and inconsistent design elements. 

Installation and uninstallation are uneventful and speedy. The response time of the software is good. The printed documentation is extensive and well designed. 

A very powerful report generator is included with acubase. Although average users  may not be able to use this easily. Once you learn to use it. A large number of custom reports can be created quickly.

Accompaniments : 

The software is distributed on a CD and is password protected. The documentation is available online as well as in the printed form.

Smart Lab Ver 2.0

Quick summary : 

This is basic laboratory and radiology management software. The software is designed in a very sketchy manner. The menu design and forms are not intuitive. It provides patient registration, test creation, test selection, reporting, billing, interpretation and analysis. 

The forms are designed in an unstructured manner and are not consistent across the application. In short, this software provides a very basic  feature set for laboratory management and X ray reporting. It is written using Access database.

 Medicsoft - Clinic

Quick  Summary : 

This software offers a basic set of facilities for managing clinical practice. The module available  are patient registration, history, examination, laboratory tests, prescriptions, outpatient management and billing details. Appointments, drug management, reports like billing details, laboratory test results, referring doctor note, immunization schedules are also available. 

The software is designed for simplicity and easy use. It is written using the Access data engine. The interface is good. The features in most of the modules are very minimal in nature. However, the patient records module needs more comprehensive coverage. The company also offers software for larger hospitals.

 HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Integrated Hospital Management System (IHMS) ver 3.0

Quick Summary :

IHMS is a hospital management system designed for nursing homes and small hospitals. The software takes into account all the essentials required in running such a setup allows for easy customization and is well suited for the Indian scenario.

Content: 

The IHMS consists of five main modules, registration, medical information, accounting, utilities and help. Registration allows you to register new patients, to search the already registered OPD and indoor patients by registration number, name, or date, and to add patient particulars. It also includes the appointment scheduler whereby you can specify time slots for each day of the week, give appointments and check generated reports for a specific duration. From the data entered in various other modules, it is possible to generate reports about financial analysis, bed occupancy status, patient features such as blood groups etc. 

The medical registration fields are customizable as per your need, and by using the help keys provided, you can save on data entry. It is also possible to create your own checklist for pre-op orders, emergency tray, or any other requirement. The patient’s data can be viewed based on their diagnosis, and consulting doctors can draw a differential diagnosis tree for junior residents to follow in case of an emergency. 

Accounting handles all the financial data such as receipts, cash/cheque deposits, bank transaction reports, and fees for consulting/ referring doctors. There is also an inventory for stocks which can be adjusted to give you a warning when critical levels are reached. 

Utilities is a good module and incorporates several features. With the reference library, you can create your own reference source of articles or notes that you may need to use later. Employee management help you keep track of all employee essentials like salary, leaves, attendance etc. You can create your own case papers and standard form letters for referrals, etc, In the yellow pages, all important business contacts can be listed. Analysis is a handy tool that allows the user to find out the financial details of any chargeable activity, like the number of cases of a particular doctor, number of patients referred to a particular consultant, revenue brought in by each doctor etc. 

Help is such an extensive module that there is no need for a printed manual. There is  also a typing tutor and practice sheets to get you familiar with the software. 

The interface is intuitive, though it could be made more visually appealing. All windows open on the common start screen, and therefore avoid the hassle of shuffling between screens. Also, the info tip as you open each window explains what the fields in that window are meant to do. The modules are integrated with each other so that common need not be repeated. Many of the entry fields are case sensitive and this avoids incorrect entries. Also, the program is designed with the current Indian health care set up in mind.

Technical specifications :

The software is developed in Visual FoxPro programming language. Software takes about 25 MB of space on hard disk after installation. Minimum requirement for Ram is 16 MB but 32 is recommended. Software is developed in Client server pragmatism so it can take advantage of the network in the office.

Accompaniments:

The installation CD comes with a hardware lock

Patient counseling software

CCPL

Quick summary :

This software provides a useful tool for explaining disease conditions to patients and is available for specialities like gynecology, surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, ENT and dental surgery. The content is created by animations  and commentary and available in over 20 languages, including German, Russian and Arabic. You can purchase specific languages of interest, depending upon your patient profile. The software can also be used to educate patients while they are waiting in the reception.

            This software increases the understanding of the disease or treatment by patients and relatives and  removes unnecessary apprehensions. It also minimizes the time required to explain complex procedures to patients.

Educational Software

ADAM Interactive Educational software

Quick summary :

This  software is for medical education to doctors and medical students. An US-based interactive multimedia software, which is exquisitely designed and extremely effective in learning medical concepts, disease, processes, treatment modalities using multimedia. The quality of images, animations, the easy to understand method of imparting knowledge is highly commendable. The range of products includes learning products for undergraduate as well as postgraduate subjects. It also includes a separate series for topics relevant to practicing doctors.

            The installation, interface and usefulness should be seen to be believed. The material is extensively researched and created by highly professional experts. Though this may sound like a review going overboard, there  is simply no way any flaw could be found. However, when you look at the demo you will feel the same. Though the cost is slightly steep, it would be affordable and useful for educational institutions or a group of doctors to purchase it.

            The software works well even with just a 486 and 16 MB of Ram. The speed of animation and graphics displays is commendable. The quality of photographs and images even with 256-clour mode is breathtaking.

Copyright © 2002 Dr. Subrahmanyam Karuturi