How Recommending A Consumer Medical App Helps Your Practice

By Author: Maryann Lambert
Total Articles: 1
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Medical practice is a fast-paced and often high-stress environment. You know that. You also know how important it is for every patient to get the attention and information they need from you, their doctor. Not only is it hard to guarantee that appointments cover all the relevant data, but it's also no guarantee that your patients will remember that one-time information.
That’s where consumer medical apps come in.
We get it. There are a lot of bad apps coming out that don’t give accurate information, or that take their claims too far. There’s a good reason doctors have avoided recommending these ‘wellness’ apps in the past.
But there are better options out there now. Genuine medical apps that give your patients relevant tools and information. In fact, with a small number of apps receiving FDA review and approval each year, there’s a growing body of apps that doctors can trust.
Statistically, more doctors are recommending these apps and reporting that they're pleased with the results than ever before.
The FDA Approval Process: You already know that there’s a difference between ...
... FDA clearance and FDA approval. Regardless of what designations the apps earn, only 20 apps are reviewed each year. They run a similar review program as other non-food items like herbal supplements.
The idea is that, by limiting review numbers, they encourage developers to produce higher quality apps that are more likely to net a review.
So far, the result is a variety of high-quality apps that specialize in the kinds of medical information and tools patients need. For doctors, this means that they can give patients more tools and ways to monitor their health at home.
Patient Results: In the long run, these apps are a valuable way of improving patient compliance and outcomes. They also leave patients feeling more satisfied. Because they have the information and tools they need, it provides an increased sense of agency.
Patient agency improves doctor-patient relations and makes your patients less likely to avoid appointments and more likely to communicate openly and honestly.
The Apps: Of course, there's no replacement for seeing what these apps can do when you use them in your practice. But we hope that by summarizing what each of these apps can do, and the variety of options, you’ll be more likely to give them a try for yourself.
Many of these apps also come with health devices that patients can then control and use with their smartphones. The range of applications has, in the last few years, grown to be truly impressive.
WellDoc – BlueStar The first chronic illness management tool from WellDoc (they’re working on bringing more options to market), BlueStar, is designed as a long-term tool for diabetes management.
It’s designed for people at least 18 years old and works for managing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It bridges the gap between the time you, their care provider, spends managing your patient’s condition, and the thousands of hours they spend managing it on their own.
It combines reminder tools for blood glucose tests with long-term tracking and weekly reports. That way, patients have access to a lot more data about their health. The numbers are also explained in an easy-to-understand format, so they can make better sense of what their numbers and patterns mean.
Patients can also request diet help and planning. In total, the app provides a comprehensive support system and health planning team. Patients can access additional support tools as much or as little as they want.
Plus, the app stores information your patients can share with you. This long -term information gives you a lot more to work with, and a greater assurance of accuracy.
Quell This is one of the apps that works with a wearable device. The calf band is designed to deliver quick and precise electrical pulses. Those pulses work to reduce the symptoms of chronic pain. Quell offers a variety of different settings, which can be varied and controlled by the patient using a smartphone app.
Since Quell works to reduce pain without relying on medication or other expensive therapies, which may or may not be covered by insurance, it’s one way to help your patients achieve a higher quality of life.
Quell is considered an FDA Class II medical device. It’s small and discreet, rechargeable, and designed for daily use.
AliveCor – Kardia Kardia is a remarkable tool for patients with heart problems. It gives them the power to monitor their heart health and rhythms without a lot of setup and teardown of expensive monitoring equipment.
The app works with a few paired sensors. It then takes an EKG and records the data. Patients can get immediate information, as well as tracking the data over time.
Plus, they can send you readings and results directly. Not only will that data help you effectively treat and monitor patient health, but you'll also be able to set up parameters for your patients to seek care before it becomes an emergency.
Kardia is actively supported, which means that the devices and software are still being upgraded and improved. While that does mean that patients will occasionally have to update their hardware, it's still significantly less expensive than coming in for an equivalent test.
Many More: Other apps focus on different specialties. Radiology, movement and rehabilitation, fertility, and reproductive wellness are just a small sampling of the other specialties addressed by consumer medical apps.
Conclusion: These three are just a small sampling of the available apps. A wide range of different apps have been developed for various conditions and offering different treatment solutions to your patients. You can use software listing and review sites like SoftwareFinder to find apps, their features and user reviews before recommending them to your patients.
It’s a good idea to look at the apps yourself before you decide which ones you want to use and recommend. One significant advantage a lot of consumer medical apps offer is another way for you to communicate with your patients.
Some are also designed to foster communication between providers. That way, you can communicate with other members of your patients’ care team for natural, comprehensive care.