by Tony Chen

I don't know about you, but I'm drooling over the new iPhone. I'm not a big gadget guy, nor am I one of those Mac enthusiasts. But I am someone that loves great functionality packed into great design, and this thing is the one gadget that I feel like is made "just for me."

This also got me thinking. What applications will the iPhone have for healthcare? Especially now since Apple opened up the floodgates for developers to create new apps. Here's 10 being talked about right now.

For Physicians
- Integrate all your other beepers/phones/PDAs, etc?
- Access medical files, charts, and mini-versions of clinical decision support systems?
- Download comprehensive drug information from drugs.com
- Use the camera to take pictures to send to specialists?
- See heart imaging with this software.
- refresh your CMEs or pick up medically-related videos/media? Read MEDLINE journals.
- Make the X-ray light box obselete?

For Consumers
- People with diabetes, Download your blood glucose levels right from the attachment.
- Track fitness? I've previously written about a wellness phone being tested in Japan
- Interface with your medical record. Looks like Life Record does this already. And I'd be surprised if someone isn't working on an interface between Google Health and the iPhone.
- Reduce anxiety/pain for kids during hospital stays?

Honestly, I probably could have made the same statements about many of the smartphones on the market today. But the iPhone just looks so darn nice, too. And the processing power is a plus.

What do you think will be the greatest healthcare use of the iPhone?