KENILWORTH, N.J., Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck Manuals (called MSD Manuals outside of the United States and Canada), one of the world's most widely used medical resources since 1899, today announced the release of its new Consumer and Professional mobile apps. For the first time, the completely redesigned apps will provide users with free access to thousands of in-depth articles, videos, animations and other resources without the need for an internet connection.

The launch of the apps comes on the heels of an online survey highlighting the need for readily accessible medical information. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Merck Manuals, revealed that one in 10 Americans has wanted to access medical information on a mobile device but were not able to because they did not have internet access.

"In today's mobile world, both consumers and medical professionals expect critical health information at their fingertips, with or without an internet connection," said Robert S. Porter, M.D., Merck Manuals Editor-in-Chief. "Whether you're a health care provider in an ER or serving patients in a remote area of the world, having a dependable medical reference in your pocket can make all the difference. We're also seeing tremendous interest in the consumer version from parents, caregivers, travelers and anyone who needs reliable access to first aid and symptom information."

The Merck Manuals apps contain a comprehensive library of reference articles on diseases, symptoms and treatments, plus more than 800 photos and illustrations. Once the app is downloaded, this content is stored on the device and accessible without an internet connection.  Over 200 additional animations and videos are also available to download to the app for offline viewing. When an internet connection is available, the apps have online-only content that features continually updated medical news, interactive quizzes and drug reference information.

The survey of 2,000 adults found that more than half of respondents who own a smartphone/tablet (54 percent) would be more likely to search for medical information on their mobile device if they knew the content was credible. Respondents would also be more likely to search if they can access content without needing to provide personal information (50 percent), without registering for the site/app (45 percent), without seeing any advertising (39 percent), and without needing internet access (23 percent).

The Merck Manuals content is authored by 350 independent medical experts. The apps are free of advertisements and do not require users to register or share personal information, removing many of the barriers that prohibit users from accessing the content they need to make personal health decisions. The apps will also be available in Spanish by the end of this year.

Following the Merck Manuals' transition from a medical textbook to an all-digital platform in 2015, the launch of these new apps is the next step in Global Medical Knowledge 2020, the Manuals' mission to make the best current medical information freely accessible to nearly 3 billion consumers and health care professionals by 2020.

Both mobile apps are available in the Apple iTunes Store and Google Play Store.

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Merck Manual and MSD Manual kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a program to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:

For Consumers in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook 
For Professionals in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook

About Merck

For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Merck from May 17-19, 2016 among 2,026 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jamie Kloss at jamie@gobraithwaite.com.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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SOURCE MerckManuals.com

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