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NCCN Launches Free NCCN Guidelines Mobile App for Android (iPhone Coming Soon!)

By Megan Martin, Communications Manager

NCCN improves access to the latest information on cancer treatment recommendations with the launch of the NCCN Guidelines App for Android. In addition, an NCCN Guidelines app for the iPhone is expected to be available by Friday. These apps are free and enable registered users on NCCN.org to view the NCCN Guidelines from their smartphone. The NCCN Guidelines apps are among the first free mobile applications available that are designed to assist in the selection of treatment for patients with cancer.

“Physicians and other health care professionals are adopting mobile eHealth technology at an accelerating rate,” said William T. McGivney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “We are pleased to be able to offer providers improved access to the critical information found in the NCCN Guidelines at or near the point of patient care or anywhere through these new mobile applications.”

The NCCN Guidelines app is free to download through the Android Market and can be found easily by searching for “NCCN”. In addition, the Android Market Bar Code for the NCCN Guidelines app is available online at NCCN.org. Once the iPhone app is released, it will be available through the iTunes store. To view the NCCN Guidelines through the apps, individuals must be a registered user on NCCN.org. There is no fee to become a registered user on NCCN.org and to view the NCCN Guidelines.

NCCN mobile apps provide access to the complete library of NCCN Guidelines, which cover 97 percent of all patients with cancer. NCCN Guidelines are the recognized standard for clinical policy in oncology in the United States and internationally. These guidelines are updated on a continual basis by an explicit review of evidence integrated with expert medical judgment and recommendations by multidisciplinary panels at NCCN Member Institutions. Users of the NCCN Guidelines apps have the ability to view all components of the NCCN Guidelines, including but not limited to, the algorithms, discussion section, and list of updates from the previous year’s version.

“Mobile devices have quickly become a preferred vehicle for physicians to access clinical information due to their ease of use and inherent portability,” said Thomas D’Amico, MD, of Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and chairman of the NCCN Board of Directors. “Being able to access the NCCN Guidelines at the point of care and elsewhere is invaluable for clinicians striving to keep up-to-date with the latest treatment recommendations that can benefit their patients.”

According to a May 2010 report from Manhattan Research, the percentage of physicians now using smartphones in the United States is 72 percent. The same report predicts that about 81 percent of physicians will use smartphones by 2012.
For additional information, visit NCCN.org/mobile.