A doctor uses an iPad to show a patient an x-ray. Experts say the medical industry drives innovation; perhaps it does, because the need for advanced medical care is constant in a changing world. We’ve talked about digitization of medical records and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips -- two examples of a wireless, paperless health care industry. The world of mobile apps is also evolving quickly, and medical apps are no exception.

There are a wide range of medical apps available for mobile devices designed to help you and your doctor reference general information about medical conditions, access health records using voice recognition technology, and perform an eye exam. You’ll be amazed at how smart your smartphone can be, with these innovative health-care apps coming soon.

An image from a PEPID medical student app. Credit: PEPID. First up is PEPID’s medical software for Google’s Android and Apple’s i-products. PEPID is offering multiple specialized apps designed to provide on-demand medical information for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and emergency response teams. There’re even student-oriented apps for nurses-in-training and medical students. For example, the clinical rotation companion (PEPID CRC) is a perfect quick reference for dosing calculators and drug interaction checks. With the HazMat flashcards app handy, you can quickly identify hazardous materials, and handle them safely and appropriately. Check out the extensive list of PEPID medical apps – each one is like having a medical expert in your pocket.

Be sure to download the first-aid and CPR app developed by Jive Media and the American Heart Association (AMA). Similar to the PEPID suite of mobile apps, the AMA app is an on-demand resource for medical information, but it is designed for anyone who wants to be prepared for an emergency. It’s compatible for all mobile formats, and the pictures just might be the best part.

Next in headlines is the voice recognition app for accessing health records using an iPad. If you’ve visited the doctor in the last 4-5 years, you’ve probably noticed an influx of new technologies, and your doctor may even be carrying an iPad into the exam room. The voice recognition app is pretty straight forward and easy to use, which is why doctors are going to love it. Basically, doctors will verbally input and edit the information for a given patient in real-time, and it’s linked to an existing electronic medical record system.

Not all apps are good, even though they may sound really neat. I’m on the fence with this voice-recognition app because, on one hand, it seems cost-efficient to give docs a hands-free way to multi-task while meeting with a patient. On the other hand, I wonder about the security precautions associated with storing sensitive patient data in the almighty cloud.

Get ready for these apps to hit your doctor's office in say, 17 years. Apparently, this is how long it takes for a new innovation to become a standard clinical practice according to an interview with Dr. Eric Topol, a leader in the wireless revolution, especially in the medical industry. The mobile technology he’s been involved with at the West Wireless Institute has a number of innovative applications from ophthalmology to dermatology, and everything in between.

Imagine scanning your eyes with a smartphone, sending the scan to your eye doctor, and getting a new pair of glasses without ever stepping foot in an exam room. Or, how about scanning a suspicious spot on your skin and sending the data to a dermatologist before you go to the office visit. These applications are obviously intended to make health care more efficient, not to replace the physician, but with all new technologies, there is resistance coming from the medical world. So, you are unlikely to see use of this technology progress quickly, but none-the-less, it’s coming.