Ten more apps for NHS apps library

The first iteration of the new Health Apps Library was launched this week at the NHS Innovation Expo 2013.

A new, £250,000 fund for developers who want to create apps to benefit patients and the public was also announced.

The library, which is currently branded as part of the NHS Choices site, contains around 70 apps and another ten were launched at the Expo in London’s docklands this week.

The NHS Commissioning Board has created the service in response to feedback from patients and clinicians about the large number of health apps available, with no way of knowing which are clinically safe.

It put out a call in December for any organisations that wanted to go through a newly developed clinical assurance process to have their app featured on the site.

Health Apps Library lead Indi Singh told eHealth Insider there was a good response to the call and that the board was still developing its approval process, taking into account feedback from users.

Users are being encouraged to post reviews of the apps online. The team is also looking for feedback on the apps library itself.

Singh said it would be part of the new customer service platform being developed by the NHS CB and the engagement exercise about the platform would include user feedback on the library.

The apps included to date are designed to help people with tasks such as getting advice on their condition, booking repeat prescriptions, accessing test results, and finding the most appropriate NHS service.

NHS CB national director for patients and information Tim Kelsey told the Expo that people used phone apps in almost all walks of life and health should be no different.

“There is somewhere in the region of 13,000 apps out there which profess to give various types of medical advice,” he said. “The library is a way of giving an NHS stamp of approval to apps so users know they are safe.”

Creative England launched a £250,000 investment fund designed to support app development at the Expo.

Next month it will formally invite small and medium-size enterprises to apply for funding if they want to develop apps that may benefit patients and the public.

The NHS CB will suggest priority areas where apps might be most helpful and help to assess applications.

The competition is set to result in support for five new healthcare apps, funded 50% by the fund and 50% by the successful SME.

The investment will take the form of revenue sharing agreements between the SME and Creative England.

The ten new health apps launched this week are:

HealthFabric, which enables patients to make informed changes in their lifestyle using information accessed from their GP electronic health record (EMIS) and the ability to create online care plans with their clinician.

eRedbook, the UK’s first digital Personal Child Health Record, which enables parents to update the record whenever their child visits a health professional or with their own observations.

Patient Access Mobile, which provides secure transactional services to the patients of EMIS practices, including appointment booking and repeat prescription ordering via a mobile phone.

PatientsKnowBest, which allows patients to get their laboratory results and send secure messages to their doctors and nurses.

VitruCare, which enables patients to make informed changes in their lifestyle using information accessed from their GP record (TPP SystmOne), and to create online care plans with their clinician.

NHS Sound Doctor, an audio app that helps patients understand long term conditions, so they can look after themselves better and get the most out of life.

Finer Day, which enables older people to create a safe social network supplemented with personalised healthcare information and technologies, to connect with their families, informal carers and front line care staff.

Well Happy (MyHealthLondon), which helps young people to find help when they need it and which will signpost young people to local mental health, sexual health and substance misuse services in London.

RallyRound, which enables invited family, neighbours and friends to organise themselves online around relatives that need care, to help them continue to live independently.

Clinical Trails, which gives the public information about clinical trails that they might be interested in, according to their condition and where they live.