Bates' Pocket Guide vs CURRENT Practice Guidelines
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bates' Pocket Guide
This app provides essential information for obtaining health histories and conducting physical exams. It features step-by-step techniques, updated images, and differential diagnoses for quick and accurate interpretation of findings. Ideal for students and professionals needing a fast reference.
- Over 130 detailed topics
- Step-by-step instructions
- Updated photographs and illustrations
- Two-column layout
- New Algorithms for symptom approaches
- Differential diagnoses
- Highlighting and note-taking
- Advanced search
Read full descriptionHide full description
*Featuring the latest content from the latest edition* ABOUT THE BATES' GUIDE: The Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking contains the critical information needed to obtain a meaningful health history, conduct a thorough physical exam, and interpret the findings quickly and accurately. Locate answers fast and review step-by-step techniques and possible findings using the distinctive two-column format with updated images. Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking is the ideal quick-reference resource for today’s medical, PA, pharmacy, and nursing students. FEATURES: • Over 130 detailed topics with step-by-step instructions • Updated photographs, illustrations, and references reinforce key content based on the latest evidence-based information • Two-column layout optimized for smartphones and tablets • New Algorithms provide helpful starting approaches for patients with common presenting symptoms. • Differential diagnoses for common, normal, and abnormal findings • Highlight and take notes within any entry • Advanced Search helps find topics quickly • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries Authors: Lynn S. Bickley MD, FACP, Peter G. Szilagyi MD, MPH, Richard M. Hoffman MD, MPH, FACP, Rainier P. Soriano MD Publisher: Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement
CURRENT Practice Guidelines
Access up-to-date medical guidelines for common outpatient conditions. This app distills complex information into a practical, easy-to-navigate format for busy clinicians. It offers evidence-based recommendations from trusted authorities, updated annually.
- Evidence-based guidelines
- Concise and clinically relevant
- Outline and tabular format
- Updated annually
- Guideline Discordance tables
- Content from trusted authorities
Read full descriptionHide full description
"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. A Doody's Core Title. Guidelines and recommendations for the most common outpatient conditions from sources you can trust! Clear, concise and clinically relevant. The authoritative guidelines primary care clinicians need to diagnose and treat the most common outpatient conditions—compiled, distilled, and updated for easy referencing Striking the perfect balance between brevity and clinical necessity, this acclaimed annual resource presents all the latest evidence-based guidelines clinicians need to treat the most common outpatient conditions. The most thorough print compendium of guidelines for primary care practice, the book features content drawn from government agencies, expert panels, medical specialty organizations, and other professional and scientific authorities. CURRENT Practice Guidelines in Primary Care 2024 converts lengthy and cumbersome text into a practical, relevant collection of available options for busy clinicians. This go-to guide converts the tremendous amount of information on the web into a practical, relevant collection of usable data for busy clinicians. Each topic is carefully selected for relevance to the office practice of ambulatory medicine and the text is presented in a convenient, easy-to-navigate outline and tabular format. • Content is drawn from a wide array of recommendations from government agencies, expert panels, medical specialty organizations, and other professional and scientific authorities • NEW: Updates reflecting the review of more than 150 guidelines • NEW: Updates to guidelines for screening/prevention of ASCVD; anxiety disorders in children, pediatric obesity, chronic pain, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia; and osteoarthritis • NEW: Numerous topics have been added, including screening and prevention of eating disorders, COVID vaccination in pregnancy, prevention of pelvic floor dysfunction, management of chest pain, left ventricular thrombus, delirium • Guideline Discordance tables highlight when major guidelines do not mirror each other • Topics are carefully selected for relevance to the office practice of ambulatory medicine, and the text is enhanced by a convenient outline and tabular format • Screening and prevention of conditions have been combined to enhance clinician use Content licensed from printed edition ISBN 10: 1265690162 Content licensed from printed edition ISBN 13: 9781265690168 SUBSCRIPTION : Please purchase a yearly auto-renewing subscription to receive content access and available updates. Yearly auto-renewing payments- $39.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable." If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Author: Jacob A. David Publisher: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
Bates' Pocket Guide and CURRENT Practice Guidelines both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 0% of CURRENT Practice Guidelines's. Bates' Pocket Guide also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (301 vs 21). CURRENT Practice Guidelines's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 14 months) and chart position (#192 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CURRENT Practice Guidelines sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bates' Pocket Guide against 4.8 for CURRENT Practice Guidelines. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 301 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 0% of CURRENT Practice Guidelines's.
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, CURRENT Practice Guidelines every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and July 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bates' Pocket Guide | CURRENT Practice Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (301 ratings) | 4.8 (21 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 301 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #192 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 147 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | Skyscape Medpresso Inc |
Customer experience
Bates' Pocket Guide
CURRENT Practice Guidelines
In-app purchases
Bates' Pocket Guide
- Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99
CURRENT Practice Guidelines
- 25% Off - Limited Period Offer$29.991 Year
- Curr Practice Guid 1Y Suboffer$31.991 Year
- 20% Off - Limited Period Offer$31.991 Year
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- 15% Off - Limited Period Offer$33.991 Year
- Curr Practice Guideline 1Y Sub7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- CURR Prac Guide Primary Care20$39.99
Questions
Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Is CURRENT Practice Guidelines free?
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or CURRENT Practice Guidelines?
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or CURRENT Practice Guidelines have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or CURRENT Practice Guidelines?
Other comparisons















