Eko: Digital Stethoscope + ECG at Mac App Store analyse

This application allows for some of the functionality advertised but it is extremely cumbersome to use in an actual patient setting and playback does not work well outside of the sethoscope. Great for teaching if the person is right next to you or can use your sethoscope but not ideal for a classroom setting. The device far surpasses the software attached to it. Additionally the time it takes to make a recording is cumbersome and the requirement to enter patient identifiers makes it difficult to store these files in a way that is not associated with patient data. Additionally the requirement to enter in a pin everytime you would like to enter the software also prolongs patient encounters.

The bluetooth pairing is incredibly painless and quick. Seems to automatically connect as soon as I open the app. Worth it just for that.

I was glad to see they setup different locations of heart sounds to auscultation and record. I was disappointed to learn that there is no way to email the audio clip or send it to an EMR. Also could use a method to map and record lung sounds

The device is good although I think there are improvements to be made in build quality - my charging cover keeps popping open, on/off switch should be colored to be more obvious from a distance. The app is also good but needs improvement. First, the login process needs to be streamlined - having to renter all the login information by hand is tedious. Second, there are sometimes you might want to save a sound without any patient information. I think a lot of teaching physicians would want to make an archive of interesting/descriptive heart sounds that they do not want to any patient identifiers associated with. There should be an easy way of doing this. Third, I think there is an educational aspect that could be expanded. For instance, a library of classic hear sounds that people could review both visually and by listening on their stethoscopes would be massively helpful. I think med students and residents might buy this product for that feature. A lot examples of heart sounds online or in other electronic resources dont sound quite the same coming through speakers or headphones. Hearing it through your own stethoscope with real time visual feedback could really help practitioners learn heart sounds faster.

Ok I watched the video and connected everything right out of the box ok. Then I listened to my heart with the power turned off. Then I turned it on, let the eko device sync with my app on my iPhone 6, and then went thru setting up a recording...only problem is, it barely records anything even with the volume turned up to the max. Not sure what anyone else is seeing.

Right out of the box. First challenge: youll have to charge it up. The micro usb connector does not easily fit into its charging port. Its really difficult to tell if its in there correctly because its shape is kind of nebulous. It doesnt slide all the way in either, not even half way in there, making it even less obvious whether its connected properly, and making it wobbly, and likely to come easily off if moved slightly. Why not make it slide in completely and snugly with an indication of which side is which? I havent gotten very far with this and I already consider this a design flaw.

The waveforms are very useful for understanding heart sounds. Great for education, cardiology, or pediatrics.