SIMPL

Delani

App is slow to respond, full of bugs, and has loading screens with every selection. Searching for an attending should not result in a loading screen. For this to be convenient and effective as an app it needs to be instant. Especially for an app called “simpl.” The cases I try to select are never easy to find. When searching I am met with another loading screen. EPA vs simpl is not a clear categorization of surgeries. There should be a free text option that bypasses the search feature. The automatic case logging link to ACGME at the end is a great idea but only adds more taps and loading screens. This should be an optional checkbox to open the link to the case logging system. When unchecked, you should be able to bypass this entirely. To summarize: make each screen instant, remove automatic ACGME logging (make this optional), and make it easier to select surgeries or free text without extra options or loading screens. There! I made your app actually simple. If this is to be a program requirement, don’t make it buggy and slow like the EMRs we stare at all day.

The concept of the app is okay. Unfortunately, this app allows attending surgeons to write whatever they desire, but offers no chance for the learner to write about the assessments. This inadvertently created a place for hateful comments, ranting, and venting about residents in an exaggerated fashion just because a case was hard to teach. Therefore, the premise of the app is inappropriate in practice, because it fails to achieve the goal of thoughtful feedback designed for growth. Remember, these comments are forever placed into a learner’s record, they are being used for evaluation, and most importantly, they are damaging surgical confidence (a skill that is already difficult to acquire). No program should be using this app.