By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    wellness centers massage spa
    How Wellness Centers Can Turn it Up a Notch to Drive Business
    February 5, 2021
    Bone Marrow Donation and Compensation: My Moral Dilemma
    December 11, 2013
    healthcare jobs without a bachelors degree
    6 Amazing Healthcare Careers That Don’t Require A Bachelor’s Degree
    January 8, 2021
    Latest News
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: All-in-One Photo-Sharing App for Docs: The Cool, the Gross, and the Puzzling
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > All-in-One Photo-Sharing App for Docs: The Cool, the Gross, and the Puzzling
eHealthMobile HealthSocial Media

All-in-One Photo-Sharing App for Docs: The Cool, the Gross, and the Puzzling

Deanna Pogorelc
Last updated: August 16, 2013 8:15 am
Deanna Pogorelc
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Originally published on MedCityNews.com.

mHealth appImagine opening your Instagram app and being greeted with photos of an amputated, infected human leg, or a diabetic foot ulcer.

Originally published on MedCityNews.com.

mHealth appImagine opening your Instagram app and being greeted with photos of an amputated, infected human leg, or a diabetic foot ulcer.

More Read

Next Phase of Self-Tracking for Health: Mood Trackers?
Is Your HealthCare Web Site Mobile Friendly?
Why Foreign Companies Should Take Chinese Social Media Seriously
Encryption-on-the-Go: Personal Mobile Devices and BYOD
Mobile Health Around the Globe: Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE mHealth Finalists

What’s nauseating to the average person could be interesting or helpful to a clinician, said Joshua Landy, an ICU doctor who dreamed up an app called Figure 1.

On the crowdsourced photo-sharing app, doctors upload interesting cases and engage in discussion.

“Now that cellphone cameras are so good that you can take high-resolution images, people are documenting unique or puzzling or straight-out-of-the-textbook illnesses,” Landy said. “But usually, they’re shared one-on-one, and as soon as both as those people stop paying attention, those cases aren’t shared anymore. Those great educational assets are no longer available.”

While he was at Stanford last summer doing research on how clinicians use their smart phones, Landy decided he wanted to create a place for clinicians to preserve and share those photos in a way that also protected patient privacy.

His first step was spending a few months consulting with two healthcare law firms to ensure that the app respected healthcare privacy laws. The app takes extra precautions beyond what’s necessary to do that, he said. For example, if someone uploads a photo with a face in it, a built-in algorithm detects that and blocks it out. After uploading, the user is also prompted to use a paint tool to block out any text, tattoos or distinctive birthmarks in the photo before submitting it. Then, all images are reviewed by Figure 1 before they’re made public.

Users can also annotate their images by placing arrows, or can choose to share them privately with certain users. If photos are shared publicly, once they’ve been approved they appear in a stream on the main screen of the app. Each is accompanied by the username of the person who uploaded it, a caption, a star button to save the image to the user’s favorites, a flag button that removes the image from the public feed if someone identifies a privacy violation, and a comment box.

To give you an idea of the kinds of conversations taking place, one recent post includes a photo of pink bumps on an arm with the caption, “Came up suddenly on a 7yo – thoughts? Impetigo? No pain or itch.” One person responded, “I’d take him in it could be a lot of different things from burn to infection that can spread.”

Launched just three months ago, the iPhone app already has “tens of thousands of users,” according to Landy, and has scored good ratings so far. Android and web versions of the app are planned, and Landy is currently raising money to move forward with them.

He attributes the speedy adoption of the app as simply doctors being doctors. “In medicine there tends to be a culture of sharing interesting findings with each other,” he said. “After you spend 10 to 12 years training, learning and sharing new findings becomes second-nature to the way you practice.”

TAGGED:health apphealth start-ups!mHealth
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

healthcare facilities
Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
Global Healthcare Infographics
June 15, 2025
from gut to glow
From Plate to Wellness: How Everyday Foods Nourish Your Body Inside and Out
Dental health Infographics Specialties
June 15, 2025
beyond nutrition
Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
Health Infographics
June 15, 2025
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy
How TMS Therapy Helps with Treatment-Resistant Mental Illness
Mental Health Therapies
June 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Mobile Technology in Healthcare
Medical InnovationsMobile HealthTechnology

How Technology Bolsters Patient Care

May 21, 2015

A New Way to Get Alerts from Government Agencies

November 9, 2013

How Facebook Scares Me

January 5, 2015

Geriatrics Health App is Already Here

March 28, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?