World Class App on Lab Tests Information

Lab Tests Online-M was developed by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and is the mobile version of the online version of the same name. In July 2015, the website won the ‘Power of A’ Gold award for creating an exhaustive resource of pathological information, which was equally beneficial to medical professionals and laymen alike. The website complies with the guidelines provided by the Health on Net Foundation and is available in 17 countries and 14 languages.

What’s Good about Lab Tests Online Android App

Learn about Different Conditions

One may argue that if all the information is available online, why should one bother spending money on the application? This is because the app loads all the information from the website on to your android tablet or smartphone and is available for offline access, while occupying not more than 15MB of space. This automatically increases the reach of the information, since even those with intermittent access to the internet can benefit from it, as and when required.

Another advantage of the Android app is that it offers information from two different vantage points – on one hand, you may browse the different tests and under what circumstances they should be taken and on the other hand, you may choose to explore the different types of ‘Conditions’ that are cross-linked by the tests used to diagnose, screen for or treat them. Notice that the word used is ‘conditions’ as opposed to ‘diseases’. This is because tests are often precautionary, used to screen for deficiencies or excesses of a chemical that may manifest as disease.

The Screening tab offers a set of tests relevant to different age groups, so that even if there are no overt symptoms that the user may be suffering from, he/she may be aware of what to be cautious of at different stages of life. Screenings are essential in taking a preventive stance instead of a curative one.

Health App for Seniors

Moreover, the app also offers feature articles on Pathology (Lab Topics) that are as comprehensible to a professional as they are to an informed layperson. This makes it an ideal app for seniors. Some of subjects that the articles deal with are that of test reliability and the difficulties of attributing accurate reference ranges. For instance, different path labs often have different reference ranges for TSH levels in the body. If you are someone who is suspected of having a malfunctioning thyroid, you might wonder why different labs have different standards for what is normal. While your endocrinologist will be able to read the report better than you, having access to Lab Test Online-M could help build an understanding of the variance, thereby helping to build confidence in your physician and his/her prescribed treatment.

The Lab Tests Online Android app also provides news items with regard to pathology, so that the user can remain abreast of the latest innovations in the field. While this feature is ostensibly beneficial for the professional, it is more so for patients, because if they are aware of the changes that are happening in the field, they can ask their doctor to take such advancements into consideration when treating them.

You may wonder that in a field that is as dynamic as medical science, how can the app claim to have all the relevant information? Wouldn’t the content be dated? The good part is that as and when there are updates on the website, the mobile app too gets updated with the latest information. This makes the app dynamic, not just in terms of its user experience but also in terms of its content. The website, as mentioned before, is regulated by the Health on Net Foundation, which ensures that online health information disseminated is reliable, appropriate and efficient.

What We Missed in this App

While the articles provided by the app deal with how it is difficult to arrive at a standard reference range, the app would have increased in functionality if it had provided normal reference ranges, even if just an aggregate of the most commonly used reference ranges in different laboratories.