Posts Tagged ‘health’

Healthy App-etite: Medications

Monday, May 16th, 2011

When doing research about different treatments for a condition, patients are sure to come upon certain drugs whose names are both long and confusing. Luckily, those who are taking an active role in their disease management have multiple iPhone applications at their fingertips to help educate them on available remedies. Here are some of the most popular downloads:

iPharmacy – Last year, this app was named as the best for prescription reference, with more than 10,680 medications in its database. An interesting feature is the pill identifier, which helps users determine a certain drug based on its shape, color, imprint or other characteristic. Images are included to avoid any confusion. Information on prescriptions include FDA-approved indications, dosage, side effects and much more. ($0.99).

iPill Trackr – This one is not a reference app, rather it helps patients keep track of their medications, which is particularly helpful for those with a slew of pills to take throughout the week. Users can log their doses, export the information for their doctors, receive push notifications when it’s time to take a pill and more. ($1.99).

Meds Family – This app is great for parents or caretakers who need to manage their family’s health, making it easier to keep track of medications, doctors and general health information. Users can log dosages, refill dates, physician information, pharmacy contact info and more. Meds Family is ideal for those with large families, or caretakers who devote their time to multiple patients. ($2.99).

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Healthy App-etite: Disease Management

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Healthetreatment is a place where patients all over the world can gather to find information and communicate with others about their conditions and experiences. You may not always be on the computer to take part in the dialogue, so you consider taking advantage of the many iPhone applications available to aid those living with medical issues. Here are a few of the top-selling apps.

Glucose Buddy – This app is for those suffering from diabetes, in which they can keep track of their glucose numbers, carbohydrate consumption, insulin doses and more. It has been features in multiple medical publications, including the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Forecast Magazine. (Free).

iChemoDiary – Patients undergoing chemotherapy for their cancer can keep a log of their doctor’s appointments, treatments, medications and symptoms. Your personal statistics can be translated into a graph to email straight from your iPhone and helps provide a more accurate documentation of your treatment for the doctor to see. (Free).

iHealth Log – Those who have a bevy of medications to manage their disease will benefit from this app, as it can help keep track of dosages and provide helpful information on each treatment, including a picture of the drug to help eliminate any confusion. ($1.99).

SleepTracker – For iPhone users suffering from insomnia or other sleep-related conditions. Track your sleep behavior long enough and the program will be able to identify what helps you sleep better or worse, such as drinking warm milk or keeping your room at a certain temperature. (Free).

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Healthy App-etite: Fitness and Exercise

Monday, March 28th, 2011

While heading to the gym and working with a personal trainer can surely help your fitness routine, you can save a ton of money by simply using a few handy iPhone apps. Exercise is an important part of life that can help reduce the effects and risks of depression, heart disease, stress, diabetes and many other conditions. Here are a few apps to help you get in the game.

iMapMyFitness – Forget about trying to record all of your physical activity while exercising outdoors, iMayMyFitness uses your iPhone’s built-in GPS to track your run, bike ride, hike and more with detailed information on time, distance, pace, speed and elevation. The app also allows you to share your workout routines with friends via the social networking function. (Free).

iFitness – No need for a gym expert with this app. There are more than 230 exercises and stretches included with pictures and instructions so you know you are doing them correctly. You can also log your work, record your weight, design your own workout or use any of the 12 pre-designed routines outlined in the program. ($1.99).

C25K – Couch to 5K is excellent for beginner runners. The nine-week training program has users gradually making their way to running 5K in just 30 minutes. If that sounds like an intimidating task, don’t worry, the first few weeks involve alternating short running and walking intervals to help you get in the swing of things. ($2.99).

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Healthy App-etite: Personal Health Records

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Advances in technology have not only helped build our community at Healthetreatment, but have also provided the chance for people to more efficiently treat and cope with their medical conditions. Additionally, there are mobile applications that exist to help make living with your illness that much easier, and each week we will highlight some of the best ones out there.

This week’s category: Personal Health Records.

MyChart – This iPhone app partners with various health care providers and allows users to keep in touch with their doctors and have lab results, immunization history, medications, appointments and more in one place. Make sure to ask your physician if s/he is part of the program on your next visit. (Free).

ExpressWELL – Developed exclusively to improve the dialogue with your doctor, this convenient app allows users to summarize their medical history, including conditions, prescriptions, doctors and more. It is password-protected and has the ability to track multiple profiles for the management of your family’s health. ($0.99).

Cloud PHR Pro – Those with a Google Health account can access their information in one centralized location, which is now portable thanks to this app. One great feature: It provides potential side effects of drug interactions with your conditions and allergies. ($2.99 – Lite version is free).

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Do Patient Needs Align With Health Care Reform?

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

While economic health care reform continues to dominate headlines and thought leadership, an important component is frequently overlooked: patient need.

Of course, every person – even the healthy – needs affordable health care, but people who are suffering also need compassion, understanding and assistance toward their goal of improved quality of life, and the number one need of that audience is frequently information. Patients empowered with health insights and information are going to make better decisions about managing their own care. For example, when a person with high blood pressure neglects to take their medication, a heart attack can ensue; the cost of hospitalization and cardiac care then spiral upward. Taking the drug precisely as the doctor prescribes – and maybe adding in some exercise at a local gym – keeps cost down by avoiding emergency care and hospitalization. Isn’t that what health care reform should really be about?

An excellent article was published on KevinMD.com today about the needs of cancer patients. The article discusses the bond of survivorship among cancer patients and the common needs of the patient community. Be sure to check it out.

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