Preop Eval vs Cause of Death Reference Guide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Preop Eval
This app provides guidance for evaluating and preparing adult patients for non-cardiac surgery. It includes algorithms and resources on medication management, cardiac event timing, and preoperative testing, serving as both a reference and a teaching tool for medical professionals.
- Cardiac evaluation algorithm
- Medication guidance (starting/stopping)
- Surgery timing after cardiac events
- Preoperative testing recommendations
- Review for students and residents
- Perioperative insulin management
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Preop Eval organizes and presents much of the guidance that one needs in order to evaluate and prepare adult patients for non-cardiac surgery. It is based upon the guidelines on this topic from the American College of Cardiology, the European Society of Anaesthesiology, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, the American College of Chest Physicians, and more (full references in the app). The app contains 1 algorithm and 3 resources: the cardiac evaluation algorithm, guidance on starting and stopping key medications in the perioperative period, guidance on timing of surgery after cardiac events, and guidance on preoperative testing. It also contains a review of preoperative evaluation mainly for students and residents. The app addresses such common questions as: - who needs bloodwork before surgery? - who needs an EKG or a CXR? - how do I handle patients on warfarin, clopidogrel, and DOAC's? - which patients need adjustment of perioperative insulin and diabetic meds, and how? - which active cardiac conditions preclude surgery? - how long after MI or stent should a patient wait before surgery? - are there adjustments to make on psych meds, rheumatologic meds, ACE's and ARB's? This app is written and intended for practicing physicians like internists, family physicians, and hospitalists; for resident physician trainees; and for medical students. In addition to being a reference, the algorithm is written to be a teaching tool by not just delivering an answer, but instead walking a physician through the evaluation process so that one learns that process along the way. As an educator and clinician, I am interested in feedback and I would be grateful for guidance on improving the tool.
Cause of Death Reference Guide
This app provides a quick reference for physicians and medical students on the US vital registration system and how to complete death certificates. It focuses on the physician's responsibility for certifying medical information, which is crucial for accurate death record-keeping.
- Vital registration system overview
- Death certificate completion instructions
- Emphasis on medical certification
- Physician responsibility guidance
- Quick reference for medical professionals
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This quick guide application is designed to acquaint physicians, medical students, and others with the vital registration system in the United States and to provide instructions for completing death certificates. Emphasis is directed toward the certification of medical information, the primary responsibility of the physician, and a critical piece of information on the death certificate.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Preop Eval at 5.0 against Cause of Death Reference Guide's 4.2. Cause of Death Reference Guide's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Preop Eval holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Preop Eval's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cause of Death Reference Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Preop Eval ships an update every 6 months, Cause of Death Reference Guide every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Preop Eval | Cause of Death Reference Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.2 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | United Health Services, Inc. | Centers For Disease Control and Prevention |
Customer experience
Preop Eval
Cause of Death Reference Guide
In-app purchases
Preop Eval
No in-app purchases
Cause of Death Reference Guide
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Preop Eval free?
Is Cause of Death Reference Guide free?
Which has better reviews, Preop Eval or Cause of Death Reference Guide?
Do Preop Eval or Cause of Death Reference Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, Preop Eval or Cause of Death Reference Guide?
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