Using to tech to prevent medical mistakes.   I’m Fred Fishkin with technology BootCamp, a report on gadgets and gear.     A company called MedSnap is out with an app and a little gadget that is used with an iPhone…and it is designed to identify pills…either brand name or generic.   And beyond that, says co-founder and CEO Dr. Patrick Hymel…it identifies potential interactions and problems…

“We’ve heard comparisons that it’s like the Shazam app for pills.  Of course, Shazam is the app that helps you identify a song.  We identify pills and that auditing process, which takes seconds to do, uncovers a surprising number of errors.  Our customers and clients who’ve used the system in the clinical world are typically shocked.”

Pills are placed into a small special tray designed to help the app with the identification.  The first version is designed for professional settings.    There’s more info at MedSnap.com.  You can find us at BootCamp.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.