Tampa, FL (May 18, 2010) — The University of South Florida College of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine recently launched the IDPodcasts Mobile Viewer, the first-ever “streaming media” iPhone application released by USF and the first infectious diseases mobile phone application developed under the State of Florida University System.

Co-developed by Dr. Richard Oehler, USF associate professor of medicine, and Dr. John T. Sinnott, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, the application permits on-demand streaming of infectious disease-related podcasts to any iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad through a WiFiconnection. A version compatible with either a WiFi or 3G connection should be released in the near future. The app is now available as a free download from the app store, permitting users to enjoy more than one hundred hours of infectious diseases content almost anywhere within range of an internet connection.

“Since 2007, our web site, IDPodcasts.net, has been a premiere remote learning resource for infectious diseases (ID) on the web. Having developed more than one hundred podcasts over the last three years, we are now a comprehensive resource for clinicians and students who are interested indeveloping their knowledge base in infectious diseases and public health,” said Dr. Oehler. “Though our website receives several thousand hits per year and is already a leading infectious disease podcast series on the iTunes store, the IDPodcasts Mobile Viewer will bring the exceptional teaching of our USF ID and guest faculty to a whole new group of mobile users who will appreciate the capability to learn about infectious diseases anywhere on-the-go. The IDPodcasts Mobile Viewer will become an indispensableeducational resource.”

The USF Health Division of Infectious Disease partnered and developed the application with Tampa Bay area company Absolute Mobile Solutions. “I have long followed and admired the innovative vision of USF College of Medicine Dean (Stephen) Klasko. He has a real vision for the integration of technology and healthcare encompassing everything from education to patient care.” said Absolute Mobile Solutions President Alfred Goldberg.

The IDPodcasts Mobile Viewer application can be downloaded from the iTunes app store (keyword is “id podcasts”). For more information, please contact Dr. Oehler at Richard.oehler@va.gov, or call (813) 972-2000, ext. 6184.

– USF Health –

USF Health (www.health.usf.edu) is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $380.4 million in research grants and contracts last year, the University of South Florida is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of only 25 public research universities nationwide with very high research activity that is designated as community engaged by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.