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instagram-for-doctors-figure-1   Figure 1, the Instagram for doctors as it is now fondly called, is a free app developed by a Canadian startup company. The app is for the iPhone and a new version has recently been launched in Australia. Developed by Canadian critical care doctor Joshua Landy, software developer Richard Penner and CEO Gregory Levey, the app was funded through venture capital raising a total of $C2 million in seed funding. The app was launched to bring professional global doctors together under a social media platform to exchange ideas. The app includes an algorithm which ensures the patient’s anonymity as well as a manual block allowing users to remove identifying marks such as tattoos. It also includes a photo editor to allow users to crop images and to add arrows to highlight points of interest. The users of this app can share images with specific people or the whole community of users and each image includes a caption to explain what the image is or to ask questions. The app also includes an image library that is searchable by anatomy and specialty. There is an optional verification tool which is restricted to licensed doctors to prevent the misuse of the app. The developers are hopeful that the app will spread to other healthcare professionals. In North America, users are verified through the networking tool Doximity or by an email to the doctor’s institution. Medical facilities are required to get a written patients consent before a picture is taken. The Australian version of the app was developed by a group of Australian medical students for educational purposes and a few qualified doctors who are early adopters. With over 30 million image views, the app which was first launched in North America in 2013 and has received a great review on iMedicalApps. The company hopes to develop a large community of healthcare professionals to share images, knowledge and clinical insight. An android version is currently being developed. The potentials of this app are vast, with younger doctors having the opportunity to get expertise from older experienced colleagues. Images can be shared in case of possible epidemics, communication is faster, and images can be archived for future reference. Have Nigerian doctors heard about Instagram for doctors? Figure 1 is available for download, free in Apple’s App Store and Google Play.    

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This article was first published on 25th June 2014

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