Mind the App: New Technology for Clinicians and Clients

By Libby Peachy, Summer 2011

As more and more of my colleagues upgrade to the proverbial "smartphone", I have begun to notice that the market and demand for technology-oriented psychological treatment is on the rise. With major players such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Psychological Association rolling out new smartphone apps, I am beginning to realize that the future of "best practice" and informed techniques for helping clients may be moving out of my "toolbox" and into my pocket.

Two of the most useful iPhone and Andriod applications used by medical professionals are Epocrates® and Medscape Mobil from WebMD. Both Epocrates and Medscape provide useful information regarding medical conditions, signs, and symptoms. However, arguably the most useful function they both have for psychologists is the drug reference and interaction checker features. These apps are perfect for health psychologists and clinicians who work in primary care settings as a means to stay on top of the latest medication information and dosage recommendations.

While not all psychologists are interested in primary health and psychiatry, there are many apps geared toward mental health professionals for both research and treatment augmentation. The APA has released an app version of APA journals, which utilizes an RSS feed to keep members up-to-date with the latest psychological research. Additionally, for those of you who may not have figured out how to load a PDF version of the DSM-IV-TR to your phone, tablet, or eReader, you can download the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV-TR® app (for $46.99) or get the "lite" version for free.

In addition to all the applications for clinicians, there are many apps that can be beneficial for clients to use on their own phones or tablets. For instance, the Department of Veteran Affairs recently launched the free "PTSD Coach" smartphone application, which allows veterans to manage their stress, access care, and break through the stigma that often comes with PTSD. PTSD Coach can be used as a stand-alone education and symptom management tool, or to augment face-to-face care with a healthcare professional. Additionally, The Tactical Breathing Trainer, sponsored by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology, is also a great resource for clients to learn and practice stress-reducing breathing, which can be used to gain control over physiological and psychological responses to stress. For clients who are in recovery and participating in AA, the 12 Steps AA Companion app is highly rated and has been touted as the most comprehensive sobriety tool/smartphone application for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Furthermore, one important area of functioning often overlooked by both clients and clinicians is sleep and its relationship to mood and health. Both the Sleep Tracker and Sleep On It – sleep tracker and alarm apps provide excellent ways for documenting sleep quality, patterns, and mood.

Lastly, for those of you who are thinking toward the future and planning on studying for the EPPP, there is an app suite to help you maximize your study time (i.e., on BART or MUNI) and prep for the licensure exam. Study Psych's EPPP series of apps come with flash cards for the major sections of the exam and the full version comes with 1000 practice questions. You can

buy sections of flash cards for areas you feel a bit weaker on or download the full version for a mere $29.99.