A new app to support you in managing health conditions or general wellbeing
Have you ever considered using an app to support you in managing health conditions or your general wellbeing? Maybe you have but struggled to find one that's right for you?
North West London CCG, in partnership with ORCHA, has launched a Health and Care Apps Library, which contains hundreds of independently reviewed apps to meet your needs. You can visit the library at nwlhealthapps.orcha.co.uk. The Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) is the world’s leading health app evaluation and distribution organisation.
With the widespread ownership of smartphones and tablets, and the ever-increasing use of apps for anything from tracking jogging routes and providing dinner recipes, right through to monitoring heart rhythms, there is a real opportunity for apps to effectively support you in managing health conditions or your general wellbeing.
Unfortunately with over 360,000 health apps in the most common app stores (Google Play, Apple App Store etc) and with many not having any level of quality assurance, it can be incredibly difficult to find one that's appropriate, trustworthy and effective.
Our partner ORCHA has a team of people, including actively practicing clinicians, to independently review and accredit health apps against a large number of stringent criteria in areas such as clinical/professional assurance, data and privacy, and usability and accessability; giving each app an easy to understand percentage score which will help you decide whether to download it or not.
The library also gives our teams the ability to recommend apps to you during consultations, by sending a text message or email link to the app where it is appropriate and if agreed with you.
Please be assured we do not expect apps or the library to replace any services you may be using, but rather complement them. For example, you may be waiting for an appointment to discuss a sleeping issue with your health or care professional and could utilise an app to monitor your sleeping patterns. The app may even record those patterns, which you can then discuss during your appointment to help with management plans.
Please do take a look at the library and we hope you find an app that is useful for you. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Francesca Falato at f.falato@nhs.net.
