The past two articles focused on physician education through apps. This month’s article will feature patient education and means for patients to communicate with their physicians outside of the office through their mobile devices. There has been a widespread adoption of these apps leading to innovation geared toward improvement in the treatment and monitoring of disease.
Because medical apps are designed to monitor and diagnose diseases, the US Food and Drug Administration is closely monitoring certain apps, such as those that change a mobile device into a regulated medical device. While the FDA encourages the development of mobile medical apps, they also have a responsibility to oversee the safety and effectiveness of medical devices such as these apps.
The FDA has issued the Mobile Medical Applications Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff in 2013, which explains the agency’s oversight of mobile medical apps as devices. The oversight focuses on the apps that present a greater risk to patients if they don’t work as intended and on apps that cause mobile platforms to impact the performance of traditional medical devices.
Patient Education and Health
SightBook (Free)
By DigiSight Technologies
This app allows patients the ability to monitor their disease outside the office and provide more data to their physician at follow up visits. Patients can use their mobile devices to check vision, color acuity, contrast, and Amsler grid, among other tests. The test results are immediately displayed and stored on the patient’s device. The SightBook vision measurements correlate with the ETDRS distance chart and the Rosenbaum Near Card. Patients also can create a log of their treatments by date, which eye, and type of treatment received, as well as tracking upcoming appointments. Patients with the SightBook app can join the DigiSight Network. Information is securely stored on the website, which can be used to monitor changes and share data with any physician in the DigiSight Network. Physicians who would like access to this information must also join the DigiSight Network and be invited by the patient to access his or her data. The app has “Alert Settings”, which allows physicians to choose to be alerted when the patients miss tests or experience a certain degree of visual loss. This app is available on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
CheckedUp (Free)
By CheckedUp
Focused on engaging patients in treatment care plans, this app helps physicians manage pre- and post-operative care. Physicians can prescribe CheckedUp to patients before surgery so they can have access to choices related to their surgery, educational content, coupons for applicable medications, appointment information, and allow them to stay connected with their surgeon after the surgery. Patients can also sign a digital consent form and set up medication reminders. CheckedUp will allow the physician to follow patient compliance with medications, disease progression and other post-operative instructions. CheckedUp is currently available in version 1.0.2, which is 21.9 MB and is available in English.
EyeDocApp ($799 + $49.99 per month)
By EyeDocApp, Inc.
EyeDocApp creates a way for physicians to retain, educate, attract and increase the number of visits for patients. The app is custom designed for the physician and helps to brand your practice by integrating personal logos. Tabs on the app allow patients to get information on the practice, including services offered, learning tools, location, doctors’ information, news, etc. The app also allows patients to request appointments, which is immediately emailed to the staff. Patients can order contact lenses (if this is offered in the practice) and communicate with office staff on their terms. The price of the app is $799 for a one time set up fee plus $49.99 per month. This app is compatible with iPhones and Androids. Apple requires each practice to have its own Apple iOS Developer Account, which requires a separate fee that is paid directly to Apple yearly. There is no cost to patients who want to download the customized app.
Sight Selector ($299.99 for one year subscription)
By Patient Education Concepts, Inc.
This app provides multiple 3D images and animated videos with narrations that physicians can use to demonstrate disease processes to make it easier for their patients to learn. Options include cataracts and IOLs, refractive errors, laser vision correction, wavefront guided procedures, wavefront optimized procedures, conventional LVC procedures, general ophthalmology, cosmetic and various lens enhancement options available from an optical dispensary. All of the topics and narrated videos can be previewed on PEC’s website. There is a ‘draw’ feature that can be used on the 3D images, and the iPad screen can be viewed simultaneously on a large monitor via Apple TV and Wi-Fi. You also can print color handouts for each topic with the individual practice name at the top of the page. Video playlists can be created and saved and custom videos can be added to the playlist. This app is available for the iPad and iPhone. There is an annual subscription service that costs $299.99. The last update was in Dec 2013, is up to version 1.3 and is 83.2 MB.
Eye Handbook (Free)
By Cloud Nine Development LLC
Developed at the University of Missouri, this app is a diagnostic and treatment reference for eye care professionals. Its collaboration with the American Academy of Ophthalmology gives it access to resources and links where specialists can purchase patient education materials to download on their devices. The app includes EHB Forums, allowing specialists to connect with other professionals around the world and post pictures and ask questions in various categories. Blink is a section that presents rare cases as unknowns. There is a calculator section that offers visual acuity conversions, glaucoma risk calculations, and more. The app also has an ICD-9 coding section. The Media Center has access to videos, audio recordings, flash cards, lectures, and more. Last updated in the fall, EHB is up to version 4.7 and is 38.7 MB. The app is available on the iPhone or Android.
There are a multitude of apps available to aid in patient and physician education. The past three articles have only highlighted a small percentage. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and we can be sure to see many more in the near future.