Recently WebMD released Medscape Mobile, an application that allows physicians to access the Medscape features from the mobile device of their choice. The fact that the application is available for a variety of mobile devices like Blackberry and Palm should surprise no one, but the fact that the application is also available for the iPhone or iPod Touch might.

This particular application is free and allows doctors to get the same information available from the desktop Medscape; pharmaceutical information, clinical reference tools, medical news and even continuing education opportunities, from the iPhone or iPod. Doctors have long relied on their Blackberries and Palm Pilots to be their mobile office, but the iPhone is starting to appear in more and more healthcare provider’s hands.   To that end, Apple is working to give the physicians what they want. Currently, the Apple Apps store has over 278 medical downloads available for use on the iPhone.

The most widely used is Epocrates Essentials which gives physicians a way to check for drug interactions, look up disease symptoms, and find out what labs they should order, all with a couple of taps on the iPhone screen. Also available from the Apple Apps store is myDictation by ZipCharts. This nifty application is the first software, according to ZipCharts, for the iPhone that allows physicians to dictate directly into their iPhones and save the dictations as digital recordings for wireless transmission to a central server using a HIPAA compliant secure connection.

myDictation software allows doctors to chose from three audio formats (WAVE, CAF, and MP3), and after they are done dictating, the recordings are uploaded wirelessly. Another useful app is ACLS, which contains a reference for the urgent care of people having heart attacks. Moreover, another app has illustrations from Netter’s Anatomy reference book. As the iPhone grows in popularity with physicians, more apps will be developed. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration cleared an obstetrics application for use on the iPhone. Available at the Apple App store the AirStrip OB application gives Obstetricians another great tool to help diagnose and treat their patients.