Development and initial evaluation of a point-of-care educational app on medical topics in orthogeriatrics

INTRODUCTION: Research by AOTrauma’s orthogeriatrics education taskforce identified ongoing educational needs for surgeons and trainees worldwide regarding the medical management of older adults with a fracture. To address practicing surgeons’ preference for increased use of mobile learning, a point-of-care educational app was planned by a committee of experienced faculty. The goals were to deliver the app to surgeons, trainees, and other healthcare professionals, to measure usage, and to evaluate the impact on patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The committee of geriatricians and surgeons designed and developed four modules on osteoporosis, delirium, anticoagulation, and pain based on published evidence and the content was programmed into mobile app formats. A registration form was integrated and a 14-question online evaluation survey was administered to users. RESULTS: The AOTrauma Orthogeriatrics app was installed by 17,839 users worldwide between September 2014 and October 2015: Android smartphones (44 %), iPhones (32 %), iPads (15 %), Android tablets (9 %). 920 users registered and 100 completed the online evaluation: orthopedic/trauma surgeons (67 %), residents/fellows (20 %), and other professionals (13 %). Ratings for all aspects were 4 or higher on a 1–5 Likert scale (5 = Excellent). 80 % of evaluation respondents found the answer to their question or educational need on their last visit, and 26 of 55 respondents (47 %) reported making a change in an aspect of their management of patients as a result of their learning from the app. CONCLUSION: The orthogeriatrics app reached its intended audiences and was rated highly as a method of providing education to help improve patient care. Content input by experienced faculty and app improvements based on user feedback were key contributors to successful implementation.