medtapp

No sooner had I said that Modality Inc. wanted to provide a “medical school in your pocket” than a real medical school comes up with their own iPhone app. According to a press release from the Harvard Medical School on PR.com, “the Harvard Health Publications Division…announced today [Oct. 9, 2009] that it will launch a new program called HMS Mobile to deliver a series of iPhone applications aimed at promoting public health. The first such application will focus on the H1N1 flu pandemic and is scheduled for release to the public in early October. These applications will leverage Harvard Medical School’s extensive knowledge along with its long-standing expertise in publishing health information for the general public. The School’s goal is to provide the public with the best available information on public health-related issues, including practical advice on how to reduce risks and how to respond in the event of a public health threat.”

Speaking of which, Modality should not feel threatened by HMS Mobile as the latter caters more to the general public than medical students and professionals.

Read the rest of the press release here.

Visit the HMS Mobile website here.

Edit: This is not the first instance of a medical school developing an iPhone app. A Medical Encyclopedia from The University of Maryland Medical System has been in the App Store since April 2009.