Mobile health and apps news in brief

This month’s mobile apps round-up features news that myGP has launched medical record access for patients across the country, while patient messaging service MJOG and healthcare app developer my mhealth are joining forces to help people manage their chronic conditions.

myGP launches medical record access for patients across country

Medical app myGP has launched medical record access for patients across the country.

The app, which can be used for prescription ordering and appointment booking – among a host of other benefits such as health tracking and video consultations – has added the new feature during its latest update.

iPLATO Healthcare, the developers of myGP, have worked with the NHS and EMIS Health to ensure that all GP practices operating on the EMIS Health clinical system are able to offer patients immediate access to their online medical records.

Earlier this year, as part of the GP contract, it was announced that all patients should have access to their medical records by April 2020, including a full medical history.

Lemarie Moses, head of product management at iPLATO, said: “Our aim has always been to simplify access to healthcare and improve the patient experience of navigating the healthcare system. This new functionality will allow our users to access their medical record straight from our myGP app.

“From a patient perspective, this is extremely convenient, time saving and most importantly, empowers them to take an active role in their own healthcare.”

Cancer care app launches in the UK

Careology, a connected health platform for people who have received a cancer diagnosis, launched in the UK at the end of July.

The app integrates with health-tracking devices that monitor temperature, heart rate and activity levels, allowing potential complications to be identified early.

Careology collects anonymised datasets that the company hopes to apply machine learning algorithms to, with the aim of developing predictive analytics for drug discovery.

Paul Landau, chief executive and founder of Careology, created the app after witnessing his wife’s journey after being diagnosed with cancer in 2016.

“We’ve been working tirelessly to create an advanced technology solution that deals with cancer care differently, employing consumer-oriented design, blended with clinically robust thinking and data science,” he said.

“Careology not only provides useful tools, but also looks and feels like any great app you would want to use as part of everyday life – we want to create something that is for people, not patients.”

Patient messaging service and healthcare app company join forces

Patient messaging service MJOG and healthcare app developer my mhealth are combining forces to help target people living with asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and diabetes, in a bid to improve their ability to self-manage their conditions.

The partnership will see MJOG’s patient reach used to help the NHS-approved my mhealth communicate digitally with patients who could use its apps to support their long-term conditions.

MJOG’s patient messaging service is already used by more than 4,200 GP practices across the country, communicating with some 45 million patients.

This broad reach could prove vital, with trials by my mhealth and other independent researchers have found 90% of patients with an inhaler do not use it properly.

My mhealth’s own clinical trials have suggested it can correct up to 95% of inhaler technique errors with the training in its myAsthma and myCOPD apps, the same outcome as face-to-face rehabilitation.

Kevin Nutt, chief executive at MJOG, said: “With access to roughly two thirds of the country’s population, MJOG’s messaging service is an excellent way to encourage patients to embrace cutting-edge apps, such my mhealth’s, that can help patients better manage their long-term conditions.”

Dr Harry Thirkettle, senior medical advisor at my mhealth, said: “Our partnership with MJOG will help CCGs rapidly identify and contact the right patients about our suite of apps that can support and educate those with chronic conditions.

“By encouraging self-care, the NHS will improve patient outcomes, help cut long waiting lists and reduce costs by increasing access to important services like pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, and diabetes structured education.”

New app delivers clinical guidance to dental professionals

A new app, the Dental Companion, launched this month by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP).

The app, which is also available on the web, joins the Dental Prescribing app to support improvements in patient care.

The Dental Companion presents four diverse guidance ‘toolkits’ based on the following SDCEP publications. Each toolkit includes the key recommendations from the full published guidance, with supporting tools such as flowcharts and links to patient information.

Professor Jan Clarkson, director of SDCEP, said: “We are keen to employ novel approaches to the delivery and implementation of guidance.

“The Dental Companion allows dental professionals to access SDCEP’s evidence-based guidance from their mobile devices and will build on the success, popularity and usefulness of our Dental Prescribing app.”

The app is available to download free on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Augmented reality app teaches children how to use their inhaler

MySpira is an augmented reality technology (AR) asthma training app that helps teach children aged 6 – 13 how to improve their inhaler technique, which could ultimately save lives.

It’s the world’s first asthma app to use new augmented reality functionality released by Apple (ARKit) and Android (ARCore), which operate on the latest versions of Android and iOS.

The app takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and does not require support from a healthcare professional.

Game play immerses children in their choices, which increases their cognitive focus on a task its creators claim. With the help of a fun character, Spira, the game play describes the key asthma triggers and educates the user on the condition.

Fun animations and game play then teach the user inhaler techniques through a journey of eight modules, where virtual achievement badges can be collected for each module successfully completed.

Finally, engagement and user recall are tested by a simple question and answer functionality at the end of the application, helping to determine that the user has fully absorbed the key themes of asthma education and MDI technique.

In a recent University of Suffolk study of 96 children aged 6 – 13, a steady increase of information recall was observed with the MySpira app, over traditional asthma or inhaler education methods.

Ascenti launches revolutionary exercise and rehabilitation app PhysioNow

Physiotherapy provider Ascenti has launched PhysioNow, an exercise and rehabilitation app.

It’s hoped the app will change how musculoskeletal injury is treated, by providing patients with physiotherapy services at the touch of a button.

PhysioNow supports users throughout their journey to recovery by providing 24/7 access to expert advice through digital triage, virtual consultations and tailored exercise programmes from approved Ascenti clinicians.

Users will be able to book appointments directly through the app and they will be able carry out exercises in the comfort of their own home, with access to guided videos that can be downloaded and viewed at any time.

PhysioNow is fully integrated with Ascenti’s bespoke patient workflow system, meaning that physiotherapists can prescribe video exercises, track patient progress and adjust according to real time patient feedback all within the same system that supports them in other aspects of their daily role.