Guildcare APP

This app is available for iOS users. It is sold on itunes by Guildlink Pty ltd.

The app was designed for Australian pharmacists who use GuildCare Programs in their pharmacies to enhance the quality of medical care they provide and improve the general health of the community. The app allows pharmacists to build their pharmacy practice and comply with the recording and reporting requirements for the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement (5CPA), which was established by Guildcare. Services that may be carried out and recorded include Clinical Interventions, Medschecks, Diabetes Medschecks and other clinical services.

This app therefore has the potential to significantly improve patient care, as it makes compliance with Guildcare services easier for pharmacists, thereby increasing the likelihood that these beneficial services are offered to patients and documented correctly.

More information and screenshots can be found at:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/guildcare/id654877206?mt=8

My Childs eHealth Record APP

My Child’s eHealth Record APP is available on both iOS and Android. It was developed by the Australian Government and the National eHealth Transition Authority. In order to use the app, parents must have a myGov account and register at eHealth.gov.au.

When these criteria are met, the app allows parents of children under 14 years of age to add and view information about their child’s health and development. This information can also be accessed by authorised representatives, at the parents discretion.

The app has the ability to beneficially assist in patient care as health care professionals can immediately be informed of the child’s current immunisations, development and other health issues.

Further information and screenshots of the app can be found at:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/my-childs-ehealth-record/id648713580?mt=8

Express Plus Medicare

This app is sold by the Australian Government Department of Human Services, and is available for free on both iOS and Android. In order to use the app, purchasers need to be registered for Medicare Online Services and have a MyGov account.

The app is a way to access a range Medicare services. Users are able to: request a replacement or duplicate Medicare card, view and update contact and banking information, store statements in the secure vault, find Medicare service centres. They are also able to view their Medicare card details, Medicare Benefit Tax Statement, Children’s Immunisation History Statements, Medicare Safety Net information and receipt history. Possibly the most useful feature of the app is being able to make medicare claims.There are 25 items that can be claimed using the app that do not require the customer to upload a receipt, all other claims require the use to upload a receipt to support the claim.

This category of health apps improve patients ability to access and utilise the health care initiatives provided by the government. These initiatives improve equality of access to health resources and medicines, thereby benefiting patient care as they are able to receive the optimum treatment.

For more information and app screenshots go to:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/express-plus-medicare/id648134521?mt=8

Glucose Buddy – Diabetes Logbook APP

This app was developed by Azumio Inc for the use on both iOS and Android smartphones. It is widely used and was ranked the #1 Diabetes iPhone Application by Manny Hernandez, Founder of TuDiabetes.com.

The app is a data storage utility for people with diabetes. It allows users to log their Blood Glucose Levels, Carbohydrate Intake, Insulin Doses, Activities, Blood Pressure and Weight. It also has a reminder function, which is most commonly used to remember blood glucose checks.

The app is beneficial to patient care as it is likely to increase patient adherence to diabetes treatment. An increase in adherence will result in increased therapeutic benefit and therefore increased overall patient health.

Additional information and screenshots of the app can be found at:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/glucose-buddy-diabetes-logbook/id294754639?mt=8

I’m Expecting – Pregnancy APP

This app is sold by MedHelp, for free use on both iOS and Android.

This app is used as an information source for pregnant women, that also allows them to track several aspects of their pregnancy. These aspects include symptoms, mood, medicine, morning sickness, notes and baby kicks, which can be compared to the symptoms of many other women in a given week of pregnancy. Weight gains can also be tracked and compared to the average. Finally events such as doctors appointments and other tests can be tracked on a calendar. The app also facilitates the development of a baby bump photo journal, allows access to several MedsHelp online forums, displays weekly fetal development images developed by medical experts and connects the user with other expecting mothers.

This app is a valuable support network and information resource for expecting mothers. It has the ability to monitor their health, providing documentation of symptoms, which is useful to report to practitioners during check-ups and to assist in early determination of abnormalities. It may also assist in reducing anxiety, especially for first time mothers, which helps to maintain mental health. The apps key potential negative in regards to patient care is that users may access it instead of seeking advice from medical experts. This may be insufficient as there are often multiple explanations for symptoms and advice is not always generic, it differs based on health status and history.

For more information and screenshots from the app go to:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.medhelp.iamexpecting

Full Fitness: Exercise Workout Trainer APP

This app is sold for iOS by Mehrdad Mehrain, a private app developer. All of the exercise routines were developed by licensed fitness professionals. It is currently one of the top grossing fitness apps.

This app provides instructions for hundreds of exercises, which are explained through images, videos and text instructions. These can be accessed through one of 30 pre-made routines, which are each designed for various goals e.g weight loss, strength, ab definition etc, individually chosen or through a personally customised work-out program. Both of these program options can be scheduled so that reminder alerts are sent and the program isn’t forgotten. The results of these workout are recorded and can be graphed through the app.

The app also features a calorie tracker with over 90,000 food items, a weight monitor/BMI calculator and a measurements tracker to view progress. This tracking can be conducted for multiple users through the one download.

This app therefore has the ability to benefit the overall everyday health of patients, through diet management and exercise. This may assist in patient care in a case-based manner. For example, in patients with type 2 diabetes, it may result in a medication decrease. The app is generic however, so when choosing exercises it is up to the user to consider their own health circumstances and exercise abilities. This may be particularly relevant in patients with heart conditions or who have recently undergone surgery. Often this requires advice from health professionals, which is not provided through the app, to ensure a positive outcome, not a medical hinderance, is achieved. The app has also demonstrated the exercises to the best of its ability i.e through text, images and videos, however incorrectly performed exercises can lead to injury for users.

For more information and app screenshots go to:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/full-fitness-exercise-workout/id536049508?mt=8