Features of mobile provider education applications for prehospital trauma life support

Many educational tools are used for prehospital trauma life support (PHTLS) training, including mobile apps. This study describes the currently available mobile apps for PHTLS training. Systematic searches in the Apple Store, Google Play Store, and BlackBerry World were conducted in December 2015. Two researchers performed all searches independently and collected their findings in different databases, which were later compared. Finally, a descriptive analysis was carried out. A total of 41 mobile apps that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were found. Among these, 97.5% (n = 40) were in English, 58.5% (n = 24) were updated in 2015, and 51.2% (n = 21) were not free. Of the 20 free apps, 85% (n = 17) did not require an internet connection for any function, 70% (n = 14) had no videos or animation, 10% (n = 2) had any game, and 70% (n = 14) had no institutional certification. In conclusion, it was found that PHTLS apps usually lack interactive content and institutional certification, which should be taken into consideration by users and researchers.