The need for such an app was great for Thott, because patient hand-off is a critical point in a patient's care, and any communication error there can potentially lead to problems when the next doctor has to make decisions about the patient. Charting (on paper or electronically) can communicate basic information, but Thott wanted a tool that would deliver the nuances of what was happening with a hospitalized patient at any given time. Plus, a mobile app would be more convenient, since patient records are usually at the hospital, whereas an on-call physician might be at home or in their private office.

It was this pain point that led Thott to begin working with a team of software engineers to build iRounds. It's this kind of need that Thott believes will continue to drive innovation in the medical app sector. It's not that apps should be built without thought about patient care or the app's practicality; Thott just believes that, as practitioners, health care providers should be able to figure out how apps will work best for them.

"Eventually the market will dictate what's successful and what's not," Thott emphasized.

Ultimately, it may come down to a balance between these disparate views.