Urologist-developed iPad app lets physicians illustrate medical conditions

A new iPad application developed by urologic surgeons allows physicians to use detailed interactive imagery to illustrate and describe treatment options for medical conditions.

The app, called drawMD, was co-founded by urologists Todd Morgan, MD, and Alexander Kutikov, MD, and is sponsored by Boston Scientific. It is on display at Boston Scientific’s booths (2201 and 417) during this week’s AUA annual meeting.

With drawMD’s unique interface, physicians and patients can sketch, stamp, or type on top of detailed images to better understand and explain complex medical topics. Physicians can illustrate diagnoses, treatment plans, and urologic surgical procedures such as ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. These illustrations can be e-mailed to patients and used as documentation in their medical records.

"This app lets patients have a visual guide and deeper understanding of their diagnosis and treatment options," Drs. Morgan and Kutikov said in a statement. "The drawMD application gives users the ability to reduce doctor-patient communication barriers by offering a new paradigm for explaining complex problems to patients-and even other physicians."

The drawMD app can be downloaded free of charge at www.drawMD.com or the iTunes app store.