The Gehr Family Center for Health Systems Science at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has released the “50 Studies” app, which summarizes landmark medical studies in a variety of disciplines. The app is based on a series of Oxford University textbooks of the same name.
Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, director of the Gehr Center and editor of the textbook series, created the app to put high-impact medical research at the fingertips of medical trainees.
“When I was training to become a doctor, getting up to speed on all of the medical literature was overwhelming,” he said. “The ‘50 Studies’ app will make it easier for clinicians to quickly familiarize themselves with key studies in their field, which will prepare them to stay abreast of the latest developments.”
The studies were selected using a peer review process involving leaders in each field.
Hochman, who is a clinical associate professor of medicine at the Keck School, worked with students from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to develop the app. The “50 Studies” app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices, includes the first six volumes in the book series: general medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, neurology and radiology.
According to Ashaunta Tumblin Anderson, MD, MPH, MSHS, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the Keck School and the lead author of the Pediatric volume in the series, the app will bring the “50 Studies” content to a wider audience.
With the production of scientific data on the rise — an estimated 1 million medical studies are published each year — it is increasingly challenging for practicing clinicians to stay on top of of the latest scientific advances.
“Our mission at the Gehr Center is to help ensure that health care delivery aligns with the best available scientific evidence,” Hochman said. “We hope our app will make it easier for medical trainees and practicing clinicians to better understand and apply high quality medical studies in caring for their patients.”
The Gehr Family Center for Health Systems Science was founded at the Keck School in 2016 following a donation from the late Los Angeles businessman Norbert Gehr. The Gehr Center partners with health care systems both locally and nationally to help improve health care delivery.