In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many people on the Eastern Seaboard have realized the value of a candle, canned food, and a functioning elevator. Most people were ill-prepared for Sandy’s wrath. However had most people known about The Red Cross’ First Aid application for iOS and Android, they might have prepared a little better. The free mobile application gives users access to a series of guides, tutorial videos, and interactive quiz elements to learn more about emergency situations. These features are divided into the application’s four main elements: Learn, Prepare, Emergency, and Test.
Learn:
The Learn section is comprised of a large list of first aid situations accompanied by step-by-step instructions and demonstration videos for the user in case of an emergency.
Prepare:
The Prepare Section is a series of checklists for users to refer to in case of an emergency situation like a power outage or a landslide. The checklists identify a list of essential supplies or a series of tips to ensure safety for each emergency
Emergency:
The Emergency section is similar to the Learn section and provides fast information for people in case of an emergency with the addition of a prominent “Call 911” button. In the application’s demonstration video, the application user sees a passed out individual before proceeding to nonchalantly browse the Emergency section of the application. I would advise calling 911 immediately in this situation.
Test:
The testing section contains various interactive quizzes to test the principles from the Learn section. Passing each section also earns achievement badges for the Apple Game Center.
While the gamification elements present in this application are relatively sparse, the interactive elements and testing sections certainly allows for a more engaging experience than a traditional Red Cross flyer. Each first-aid section could conceivably be accompanied by a mini-game (mini-game used in its loosest definition) to demonstrate what a user should be doing with quick feedback but given the app’s 4.5 star rating across both platforms, it definitely has some useful information to help prepare you for your next emergency.
via iMedicalApps
