What’s ‘appening

 Digital Health News introduces a round-up of what's happening in the world of apps, wearables and other mobile health technology.

MHRA launches Yellow Card app

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has developed a free smartphone app that allows patients, carers and healthcare professionals to report the side effects of treatments using its Yellow Card Scheme. The scheme was launched after the thalidomide scandal in 1964 to track suspected adverse drug reactions. Users can submit reports of their experience and select specific medicines or vaccines to track and receive news and alerts.

Novartis updates smart watch app for visually impaired

Novartis has updated its ViaOpta smartphone apps for people with visual impairments to work with smart watches, including Apple Watch and Android Wear. ViaOpta Navigation allows users to locate nearby points of interest and then sets out a navigation path, including information on pavements and crossings. ViaOpta Daily’s features include the ability to identify objects in a field of vision using a camera and a ‘scene recogniser’ that provides a voiceover to tell users what is in front of them in order to navigate unfamiliar environments.

uMotif Digital Health joins MediCity

Mobile app developer uMotif Digital Health is one of five new companies to join MediCity, the Nottingham-based innovation hub for consumer health and medical technology firms. uMotif has worked with several NHS trusts on developing apps for long-term conditions, such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Existing collaborators include Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Ostom-i Alert to help bowel disease patients

Ostom-i Alert clips on to a colostomy bag and sends a message via bluetooth to an app on a person’s smartphone with information on how full the bag is in order to prevent leakage. The device also allows hospitals to remotely monitor patients, meaning they have the potential to diagnose dehydration and blockage problems at an early stage.

Health Fabric launches self-care store

Health Fabric has launched the Health Fabric Store as a platform to connect clinicians, commissioners and patients to create and share care plans. Accessible via the MyHealthFabric app, the store is open to all patients and all organisations that have developed care plans, including CCGs and charities. Its aim is to promote greater use of self-care by translating care plans into patient-centric information and activities.

US – mHealth to support Precision Medicines Initiative

The US is considering the use of mobile health technology as part of President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, which is cultivating a healthcare environment that takes into account differences in people’s genes, environments and lifestyles. The National Institutes of Health is asking for feedback on plans to use smartphones and wearables to collect information on related studies to improve the ability to track health behaviours and environmental exposures.