I have a confession to make. Though I love technology I'm usually late to embrace new gadgets. I didn't get my first MP3 player until about two years ago. My first digital camera was only a few years before that. We bought an XBox 360 about six months ago; before that we had a PlayStation 2, and the game console before that was an Atari 2600. I don't have a smartphone and don't plan on getting one any time soon. So even though I have a fair bit of knowledge about these things, I am far from an expert. I'd love to have a new phone, iPad, and other cool devices, but I don't have a real need for them in my job and can't justify the extra cost for a cool toy.
Which brings me to an email I recently received from Sarah...
As you’ve said you’re a bit of a technological geek, I was wondering if there are any smart phone apps that you use in your practice and could recommend. Currently I own an iPhone, but I would be interested in any recommendations for other platforms as well, as I am purchasing something else in a few months.
Technology can be a great tool in a veterinary practice. There are digital versions of text books and formularies. Some large practices and hospitals use laptops or tablets in the rooms that communicate with the clinic's computers via wi-fi. My associate has an iPad that she uses for drug calculations, having created a spread-sheet where she plugs in the patient's weight and it calculates all anesthetic dosages. I know that there are plenty of other programs and apps out there, but I don't have a lot of experience with them. Heck, I really don't have any personal experience with them!
So unfotunately I can't answer Sarah's question. However, I'm sure some of my readers could! So I'm putting the shout out for any reader in the veterinary profession to chime in on this issue and make their best recommendations. I also know that journals like Veterinary Economics have published articles on this topic in the past, so people may be able to search archives online.
