The first-ever mobile insulin dosing guide for use with the iPhone has been launched by Novo Nordisk in the US.

NovoDose is available as an application on iTunes for US healthcare professionals and is specific to Novo Nordisk’s Levemir and NovoLog insulin products.

The ‘app’ allows physicians to select the type of insulin they want to research, review suggested guidelines for dosing, titration and even blood glucose goals for their patients. It also provides safety information on the products.

“The dosing app from Novo Nordisk is a great tool that provides healthcare professionals with diabetes management information at the touch of a finger,” said Anup Kumar Sabharwal, an Endocrinologist in Miami.

“The app can save time for primary care physicians and hospitalists, who may not have the experience dosing analog insulins, and may help them to calculate doses from their iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. This is where modern medicine is headed.”

The product reflects an increase in applications for medical use, along with the recent launch of the iStethoscope for the iPhone.

According to a survey of nearly 2,000 physicians conducted by Manhattan Research,

70% believe their PDA/smart phone is ‘essential’ to their practice and 81% want more apps related to their specialty.

“Physicians are embracing the internet as part of how they practice medicine – from accessing clinical trials online to networking with peers across the country through sites like SERMO, most physicians agree that access to information online is an asset to their practice,” said Camille Lee, Vice President, Diabetes Marketing, Novo Nordisk.

“We’re taking that one step further with NovoDose by literally putting that information in the palm of their hands.”