EFM Guide vs ACOG DII SMI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
EFM Guide
A quick reference for medical trainees on electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) guidelines. It defines EFM findings, explains tracings with pictures, and outlines management recommendations. Designed for physicians, nurses, and midwives in training.
- EFM approach and nomenclature
- Management recommendations
- Definitions of EFM findings
- Explanation of tracings with pictures
- Systematic EFM evaluation review
- Quick reference for trainees
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EFM Guide is a non-commercial quick-reference app for medical trainees (not the lay public). It puts at your fingertips the approach, nomenclature, and management recommendations from the guidelines on electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) from 2008, 2009, and 2010. Each EFM finding and tracing is defined and explained with pictures. Management responses for findings and category interpretations are presented. And the systematic approach to EFM evaluation is reviewed. This app is written and intended for resident & student physician trainees, for nursing and midwifery trainees, and for practicing clinicians. It answers questions such as the following: - what is moderate baseline fetal heart rate variability? - what are the differences between an early, variable, and late deceleration? - what qualifies as tachysystole? and how can I manage tachysystole? - if my patient is 31 weeks gestation, what counts as an acceleration? - what qualifies as category I, II, and III tracings, and what does each suggest clinically? - what are the elements of systematic EFM tracing evaluation? - how may I respond to a category II tracing? - what does sinusoidal pattern look like? This guide tries to faithfully present the NICHD material for quick effective reference and review, it does not present the judgment of the app's authors. As educators and clinicians, we are interested in feedback and we would be grateful for guidance on improving the tool.
ACOG DII SMI
This app provides access to materials from the Safe Motherhood Initiative, a project focused on improving maternal care in New York State. It offers resources like risk assessment tables, checklists, algorithms, and clinical slide decks to address leading causes of maternal mortality and venous thromboembolism.
- Risk assessment tables
- Checklists
- Algorithms
- Clinical presentation slide decks
- Guidance documents
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The Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) is a project of the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), District II. The SMI works with obstetric hospitals across New York State to implement standard approaches to care - "bundles" - for the leading causes of maternal mortality, and venous thromboembolism. Access all of the SMI's materials via the app, including: - Risk assessment tables - Checklists - Algorithms - Clinical presentation slide decks - Guidance documents
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ACOG DII SMI at 100% against EFM Guide's 50%. ACOG DII SMI also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (158 vs 2). EFM Guide's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
ACOG DII SMI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ACOG DII SMI has 158 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of EFM Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of ACOG DII SMI's.
EFM Guide ships an update every 25 months, ACOG DII SMI every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | EFM Guide | ACOG DII SMI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (158 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 158 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Joshua D. steinberg | Fountainhead Mobile Solutions |
Customer experience
EFM Guide
ACOG DII SMI
In-app purchases
EFM Guide
No in-app purchases
ACOG DII SMI
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is EFM Guide free?
Is ACOG DII SMI free?
Which has better reviews, EFM Guide or ACOG DII SMI?
Do EFM Guide or ACOG DII SMI have ads?
Which is updated more often, EFM Guide or ACOG DII SMI?
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