Shamik Bafna, MD

My favorite app of 2015 is WhatsApp (whatsapp.com; WhatsApp), an instant messaging service that sends messages across all device platforms to users’ previously created groups for free. For me, this app is indispensable for keeping in touch with family and friends across the world. This year, a phone service was added to the app. Now, I am able to talk to colleagues in foreign countries without any charges.

Michael J. Endl, MD, and Erin Edson

Although Instagram (instagram.com; Burbn) may not be a new app from this year, in our opinion, it stands out when it comes to instantly staying connected with friends, family, coworkers, or even celebrities. Users simply post a picture of their daily activities, which is appealing to the younger generation who are constantly posting, liking, and sharing content within a matter of seconds on social media.

Posting one picture on Instagram with a location tag could bring in word-of-mouth business, which costs companies practically nothing. We can follow businesses that we like and see what is new on a constant basis. Alternatively, if something pops up in our photo feed that looks intriguing, we can choose to do more in-depth research about it.

Instagram is very user friendly. The best part is that you do not have to be a professional photographer to post a cool, edgy picture. With the options of filters, zoom, and various coinciding apps, you can make a masterpiece with the click of a phone button. Recently, we have been working on “mouth-watering” photos for an upcoming classic cocktail book we are writing with our colleagues. The comments we have received on Instagram have provided helpful suggestions and an added level of entertainment otherwise missed in paperback form.

Cynthia Matossian, MD

Since more and more people pay online and very few of our younger patients have checkbooks, let alone know what one looks like, we at Matossian Eye created a robust online payment system for our practice that includes Google Wallet (google.com/wallet; Google) and Apple Pay (apple.com/apple-pay; Apple). These apps are mobile payment services that allow anyone with a smartphone to send money to anyone in the United States with an email address. This service is a fast, easy, and secure way to pay an outstanding bill from a debit or a bank account. When we receive the money, our billing department can quickly deposit it into our business bank account.

Constance O. Okeke, MD, MSCE

Last month, when the scare of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 Coding transition was quickly approaching, I wondered what resource I would be able to turn to for a reference without having to lug around the excessively large coding books. I actually found the transition to ICD-10 to be fairly smooth in the clinic with our electronic medical system and our excellent scribes, who were able to choose the appropriate codes with our guidance. Then, I had a day outside of my comfort zone in a satellite hospital, where gathering codes was not as easy. Luckily, I remembered an app that I had downloaded for free for ICD-10 codes at a training course I had taken called Find-A-Code (findacode.com; Find-A-Code). With this app, I can search for a code by entering the diagnosis or browse codes specifically for the eye or a body system. This simple yet handy app saved me a considerable amount of time and stress trying to figure out a diagnosis code for a surgical procedure. I would recommend downloading it for heavy use or for those less common moments like mine when it really comes in handy. n

Shamik Bafna, MD
• practices at the Cleveland Eye Clinic, Brecksville, Ohio
• drbafna@clevelandeyeclinic.com
• financial interest: none acknowledged

Erin Edson
• refractive coordinator, Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eye Care, Amherst, New York
• erin.edson@fichte.com
• financial interest: none acknowledged

Michael J. Endl, MD
• in practice with Fichte, Endl & Elmer in Amherst and Niagara Falls, New York
• michael.endl@fichte.com
• financial interest: none acknowledged

Cynthia Matossian, MD
• founder and CEO of Matossian Eye Associates in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with additional locations in New Jersey
• clinical instructor, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine of Temple University, Philadelphia
• cmatossian@matossianeye.com
• financial interest: none acknowledged

Constance O. Okeke, MD, MSCE
• assistant professor of ophthalmology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia
• glaucoma specialist and cataract surgeon at Virginia Eye Consultants
• iglaucoma@gmail.com
• financial interest: none acknowledged