A cursory glance on the app store will reveal thousands of intriguing apps covering almost every topic imaginable. Amongst these, medical apps are, inarguably, some of the most crucial and highly valuable developments of the software world.
M-health has transformed the face of medical industry with easy access to comprehensive diagnoses, pharmaceuticals-related advice, and insightful doctors’ opinions. It benefits the doctors and patients, alike to keep them up to date with medical advancements, define new tech-savvy ways to monitor health and even diagnose symptoms and prepare the patients for unanticipated medical emergencies.
According to research, M-health technology market is expected to grow by 33% to an astounding USD 60 billion by 2020, developing it into a distinct segment of eHealth.
While there are more than 165,000 health-related apps on the Apple store alone, a handful of proficient mobile apps can help keep your health in check, especially if you have chronic, life-threatening or life altering diseases, like dementia, hypertension or diabetes. Here are some of our favorite apps;
1- Instant Heart Rate
Instant heart rate appropriately prides itself to be “the first, the fastest and the most accurate mobile heart rate monitor” employing a user-friendly approach with an engaging interface. It monitors and instantly displays the heart rate by detecting the pulse in your fingertip, placed on the smartphone’s camera lens. The data can be stored on the app for future referrals with convenient tags to add details about your activity level at the time of each measurement. The data can also be synced with an online account on Azumio to be accessible in other apps.
The free version only allows you to store up to 5 measurements; however, the Pro version ($1.99) is not only ad-free but also displays your heart rate graphically over time. The app is downloadable for Apple devices, Android devices, and Window phones. Instant heart rate is especially supportive for people with irregular heart beat due to conditions like arrhythmia, coronary heart diseases and heart valve or muscle problems.
2- Glucose Buddy
Ranked as the best diabetes iPhone application by Manny Hernandez, Founder of TuDiabetes.com, Glucose buddy is an ideal, easy-to-use app that manages and tracks your blood glucose levels. You can also use it to record your carbohydrate consumption, insulin doses, A1C results, daily exercises performed and other activities that can affect your condition to obtain a comprehensive outlook. It is a suitable app for people with type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes.
The app automatically syncs your data entries with a previously set-up online Glucose Buddy account which can be readily printed for your next doctor’s appointment; however, this feature is only available for Apple users while Android users can update their website log manually. It also offers periodic notifications to measure your glucose levels and helpful reminders to take medications. The latest version brings you a revamped interface and faster data entry options.
3- Braintest
With an estimated 47 million people affected by dementia worldwide, dementia testing to detect early signs of the disease has become a necessity, especially for people with a genetic history of this disease.
BrainTest is one of the emerging brain health technologies that check cognitive brain functioning through scientifically validated screening instruments. The app, expected to be available on both iOS and Android devices in the near future, will allow you to test your brain health without leaving the comforts of your home. It also paves way for easy identification of potential brain impairments, thus increasing the chances of early diagnoses and timely medical intervention.
Braintest also holds exclusive digital rights to the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) Test, through its partnership with The Ohio State University.
4- Fooducate
A quintessential app for fitness fanatics and health conscious people, Fooducate tracks your calorie intake, diet patterns and physical activeness to motivate you into leading a healthier lifestyle and promote weight-loss. It comes with a built-in barcode reader that provides immediate analysis of the ingredients present in food items. It also evaluates the food items and grades them based on their nutritious value where natural, less processed, healthy food receives a higher grade. The “alternative list” option helps you discover healthier alternatives to the products with lower grades.
The app also hosts a wide variety of food options in their “Browse” section with detailed information regarding their ingredients and nutrient content. This is highly convenient in situations where the bar code is not present on a food item.
Fooducate is available for free on both Apple store and Google Playstore.
5- Blood Pressure (SmartBP)
As the name implies, Smart BP helps you monitor, log and analyze your blood pressure measurements. In addition to systolic and diastolic blood pressure, you can also record your pulse rate and current weight and the app will determine your body mass index (BMI), pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP).
Furthermore, the defining tags addition to each data entry and graphical visualization of the recordings assist you in distinguishing the hypertensive readings, subsequently establishing the effectiveness of certain medication, lifestyle modifications or dietary alterations.
The app is linked to Apple Health Kit and Microsoft HealthVault thereby allowing you to store your recordings along with all your health information for easy online access. Apart from this, Smart BP features easy sharing of your data logs through emails and text messages.
Ranked at #1 position in 114 countries, the app is also free to download and available for both iOS and Android devices.
The exponential rise in the software development field has seen a meteoric influx of medicals apps. Despite being easy to use, convenient and often insightful, these apps can never replace a professional physician’s medical advice or diagnosis. However, they are an asset that facilitates your visit to the doctor with comprehensive logging and data tracking features.