Hey! I hope everyone is doing well.
I think there is an essential feature missing from AMBOSS, that is: reference laboratory values. These are only available when you're doing a qbank. Sometimes when I'm on the ward and I want to check reference ranges real quick, it takes me ages to find something reliable on Google.
It would be great if AMBOSS enlists a new tab under Clinical resources, right under "flowcharts", "calculators", and "clinical guidelines" for reference lab values.
I imagine having that tab displayed in the following way would maximize benefit:
1- The default view is a large table, each row representing a particular lab value (eg Sodium, Potassium, etc)
2- The columns represent units. So one column for mg/dL, one column for mmol, etc. And in each cell, there is the reference in numbers of that unit (as different units are used around the world).
3- For each row header or column header, there would be a star button maybe? For the user's favorite lab results and/or units. This way, if I set only a few lab values as favorites and choose the preferred unit as my hospital's, it will make access much faster without me having to browse a massive table.
Another missing feature is "how high is high" or "how low is low". For example, let's say I am a fresh, totally oblivious medical student and I have a family member showing me their lab result that shows their RBS is 101. If I look that up in the table, well yeah that's high. But how high is high? Is it serious? Should I be concerned? Is 101 as concerning as 400? etc.
I think this particularly applies to liver enzymes, bilirubin, etc. But also to other electrolyte abnormalities as well. Also to CRP. Often times on rounds, I would tell the attending "the patient's CRP is high" and the doctor would be like "yeah it's only mildly high, it's not concerning"... how does he know? well, experience 🤷🏻♀️.. but, how can I know? Do I have to ask my attending every time to tell me what is a "concerning" level for each lab value?
I'm not sure how this feature can be added--maybe either to the table (like if you hover over the cell maybe? or if you enter a particular value and it tells you if it's "mildly high" or "very high"? or have multiple ranges of different colors, from green to red?) or in the article itself as a comment next to the corresponding line under diagnostics (eg bilirubin higher than X).
That's all. I think this would be a simple yet great addition. Thank you!
Comments (4)
Hi Balkis,
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide us with this detailed feedback! We really appreciate your insights :)
We definitely understand the importance of having reference lab values readily available when working in the hospital. Your idea of adding a new tab in the Clinical resources dropdown dedicated to reference lab values is fantastic. We agree that this addition could significantly improve user experience and streamline access to critical information.
Your proposed design for this new feature definitely makes sense- having a default view with a large table, listing lab values with various units, and the option to mark favorite lab results and units is a practical way to personalize this feature. This would make it quicker and simpler for clinicians to find necessary information, saving valuable time.
Additionally, your suggestion about providing context for lab results is a great idea as well. We agree that understanding what constitutes a concerning level versus a mildly high one would be very helpful for medical students.
Thanks so much again for your input- we will definitely share your suggestions with our team. Your feedback will help us enhance AMBOSS to better meet the needs of medical professionals.
If you have any further feedback or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@amboss.com. We're here to assist you in any way we can.
Best,
Maddie from the AMBOSS team
Thank you so much Maddie! May I ask if this would get implemented? and if yes--when?
Hi Balkis- of course! We don't have an expected implementation date for this, but our team does know that this is a priority for many of our users. We will reach out to you via email as soon as this feature is released.
Best,
Maddie from the AMBOSS team
Hi Maddie! Sounds very exciting. Thank you!
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