Must-have medical gadgets for the modern doctor
Key Takeaways
Can you imagine life without an internet-connected smartphone? With the exception of EHRs, technology has made our lives easier. Doctors included. We set out to assemble a list of the best medical gadgets for physicians. Some of these will bring a little bit of swag to your practice. Others, however, might make your job a bit easier and more pleasant. Here are some must-have medical gadgets for you and your practice.
Pulsometer chronographs
Ditch that Apple Watch. Forget about all things digital. This device is distinctly old school. Did you know that many of the world’s best watchmakers used to create watches specifically for doctors? These watches, called pulsometer chronographs, enabled doctors to more accurately determine a patient’s pulse rate.
Pulsometer chronographs tend to be calibrated for 20 or 30 heartbeats. A doctor would wait until the second hand hits 12, then count off the specified number of beats, noting the figure to which the second hand is pointing after the requisite number of beats have passed.
You might not ever need a pulsometer chronograph in today’s wired world, but they sure look cool. Think of it as a conversation starter at your next networking event.
Smart notebooks
EHRs may have killed paper health records, but they don’t have to destroy your preference for pen and paper. Smart notebooks, such as Rocketbook, save you the step of transferring your notes from paper to pixels. With Rocketbook, write out whatever you want, snap a picture of the page with the Rocketbook smartphone app, then send it to your cloud storage service of choice. The best part about Rocketbook is that you’ll never have to buy another notebook again. Simply wipe the page clean after you’ve stored it and start over.
For those who would prefer to have your notes transcribed to digital type — and believe me, everyone’s life will get a little bit easier from not having to decipher your penmanship — there’s the Moleskine Pen+ and Smart Writing Set. This smart pen and notebook work similarly, but also allow you to record voice memos and transcribe what you’ve written.
Dictation software
Maybe you don’t want to write or type any of your notes. Nuance has you covered with its Dragon software. Solutions exist for practices and medical networks, though you’ll have to work it out with your CMO and IT department for the latter.
Nuance says that Dragon is now enhanced by AI, ensuring enhanced accuracy and speed. They also say that it’s 5 times faster than typing and can save you up to an hour daily.
Oura ring
Since you’ve ditched your Apple Watch, you’re going to need some type of biometric data tracking device. The Oura Ring delivers physician-level data. That’s perhaps because Dr. Peter Attia and Matthew Walker, PhD, are on Oura’s advisory board.
Oura has all other fitness trackers beat in two areas: Sleep tracking and heart rate variability. Going beyond spitting out raw data, the Oura ring tracks your biometric data and coaches you on how to take action to improve your performance and sleep. Doctors will appreciate the level of depth in the data that the ring provides. Insights from the Oura ring will help you function at an optimal state in your practice and in your free time.