Review of Medrills “Fracture” iOS app for Paramedic’s and EMT’s

It is rare that I find software that actually can help teach or refresh medical knowledge and techniques for EMT’s and Paramedic’s to use on my iPod Touch or iPad.  I saw a review for Medrills apps, and decided I wanted to test them for myself and share the review with you.

What I found was a refreshing way to engage learning, and gain not only a working knowledge of the subject at hand, but to understand it, and be able to apply it to everyday working situations.  The app for this review was the module on “Fracture” and how to effectively manage and treat such injuries, understanding the different types that can occur, and to apply proper medical management that does not compromise the patient.  Once you start the instruction part of it, it is much like playing a video, that covers all the points of the module and the information that it is trying to pass along.

The things that I like about the app was that the voice used in the video was clear and easy to understand, and that all the images used were relevant to what you would find in the field dealing with the situation that you are learning about.  One hiccup did occur while I was reviewing the app, I had accidentally closed the app, and after I re-opened it, noticed that it started back at the beginning.  So you either had to let it start completely over, or fast forward the slider bar to the point you think you were last at.  One update I would like to see in the future is the ability for it to remember where you are in case you were doing this in the squad or at base and had to go for a call.   That way you just pick up where you left off at.

Next came the Training Mode, where you take what you have learned and apply it to some interactive drills that will test your knowledge and understanding of the material.  It may be a simple question where it might ask you which of the four items would you pick if you had to deal with this in real life, and for that you would have chosen the gloves and safety goggles for personal safety precautions.  Then it moves on to the different types of fractures, how you would deal with it, how much pressure you would use, and so on.  I liked the interactive part of it, while its not the same as hands on, it does cover the basic and required actions you would take.

Lastly there is a Testing Mode, which I did not do.   They do provide a (CECBEMS) approved basic continuing education hours credit for an additional $1.99.  CECBEMS is the governing body for continuing education whether it be online or through magazine form.   You might want to check with your State’s EMS Division to determine if you can obtain continuing education hours through online sources, and how many you can apply to your overall State’s requirements.  In some states for example, you can only apply 10 CEU hours to your overall continuing ed, here in Ohio, I can do my entire continuing education online, which makes it easy when you can’t find local courses to work with your schedule.

The app itself is $3.99 and only covers the subject that you are downloading.  And as I mentioned above if you want the CEU credits for using the app, you will have to pay an additional $1.99 for that.  At almost $6 a course that is pretty comparable to taking individual CEU courses online without using a package.  I would like to possibly see a package deal where you might get a pack of 3-5 courses for a lower fee per course, but other than that I think the price point is fair compared to online sites.

Likes:

• Portable (able to keep the information with you on a portable device, wherever you may be)
• Informative
• Easy to understand

Dislikes:

• Does not save where you are if you close the app
• Would like to see the additional fee for the CEU merged with the price, or able to do for the price of the app

Overall Impression:  I really like this product, I think it could benefit departments that might not be able to schedule on site continuing education, or for the busy EMT or Paramedic who might need an alternative to computer based education and testing.

You can find out more information about the courses available by visiting the Medrills Website  or checking out their Facebook Page or follow them on their Twitter account.

I will be reviewing about 3 more of their apps here in the next few weeks, so please look out for updates, make sure you sign up for my newsletter, leave a comment, and check out the rest of the site!  Remember to have a great day, stay safe out there, and remember to smile!   Tom.