Apple creates open source personal health app software

Will release CareKit framework later in the Spring

Apple has developed new open source software that will allow developers to more easily build apps that help individuals manage their health and well-being.

The company says that iPhone apps using its new CareKit software will allow physical therapy exercises to be tracked using Apple Watch or iPhone sensors and surveys to record symptoms.

CareKit will also provide an ‘Insight Dashboard’ will map symptoms to show how treatments are working.

It builds on Apple’s closely related to ResearchKit technology, which was released last year and allows iPhone users to more easily participate in medical research.

Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said: “We’re thrilled with the profound impact ResearchKit has already had on the pace and scale of conducting medical research, and have realised that many of the same principles could help with individual care.

“We believe that giving individuals the tools to understand what is happening with their health is incredibly powerful, and apps designed using CareKit make this a reality by empowering people to take a more active role in their care.”

CareKit won’t be fully released until next month, but early adopters are already using it to build apps for Parkinson’s patients, post-surgery progress, home health monitoring, diabetes management, mental health and maternal health.

They include the Texas Medical Center – which is designing apps to guide and support care pathways, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which providing patients with more insight into chronic care management through home health monitoring devices that securely store data in HealthKit.

Also involved are Sage Bionetworks and the University of Rochester, which have used CareKit within their mPower ResearchKit study as a way to better inform patients about their condition and health care providers about treatment.

Ray Dorsey, the David M Levy Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said: “With ResearchKit, we quickly realised the power of mobile apps for running inexpensive, high-quality clinical studies with unprecedented reach.

“We hope that CareKit will help us close the gap between our research findings and how we care for our Parkinson’s patients day-to-day. It’s opening up a whole new opportunity for the democratisation of research and medicine.”

Since its launch last year the ResearchKit-run mPower app has enrolled over 10,000, which Apple says makes it the largest ever Parkinson’s study. The company also notes that 93% of participants in the study said it was the first time they had taken part in any kind of research.

Source PMLive http://www.pmlive.com/blogs/digital_intelligence/archive/2016/march/apple_creates_open_source_personal_health_app_software_960425

Apple creates open source personal health app software

Roche integrates diabetes app with Apple Health

Accu-Chek Connect will allow patients to share data with the iPhone system

Roche Diabetes Care’s Accu-Chek Connect will now allow patients to share the blood glucose and carbohydrate data they collect with the iPhone’s Apple Health app.

The integration of Accu-Chek with Apple’s HealthKit software means that, with user permission, Accu-Chek Connect could also integrate with other HealthKit-enabled apps, such as electronic medical record or health tracker apps.

Marc Gibeley, head of Roche Diabetes Care North America, said: “For people with diabetes, simplifying the management of their condition can be an essential part of championing their own health and wellness.

“This integration is the next step in helping those with diabetes adopt a holistic approach in managing their overall care, by allowing them to log, view, and share their diabetes data with other health tracking applications on their iPhone. It also provides healthcare teams with a better view of the patient’s lifestyle as they assess the role of health and fitness in their management routine.”

The Accu-Chek Connect diabetes management system that consists of the Accu-Chek Aviva Connect meter, an app and an online portal that allows patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to view and share blood glucose data.

The meter wirelessly sends blood glucose results to the Accu-Chek Connect iPhone app, which also has an insulin dosage calculator that doctors can activate.

Source PMLive http://www.pmlive.com/blogs/digital_intelligence/archive/2016/march/roche_integrates_diabetes_app_with_apple_health_958437

Roche integrates diabetes app with Apple Health

Not enough doctors for 7-day NHS, says Royal College head

There are not enough doctors to run a seven-day NHS in England, according to a leading doctor.

In a speech on Tuesday, Royal College of Physicians president Prof Jane Dacre will warn ministers the issue must be addressed if their policy is to work.

She will highlight research that shows vacant posts are not being filled and gaps in rotas are being seen.

It comes as ministers are locked in a dispute with junior doctors over their plans for improving weekend care.

Last week thousands of medics went on strike over the government’s decision to impose a new contract on them, designed to make it cheaper to rota on staff at weekends.

Prof Dacre will raise her own concerns at the RCP’s annual conference in Harrogate, saying NHS trusts are struggling to find enough staff to cope with existing demands.

Physicians are doctors who focus on diagnosis and treatment as opposed to surgery. They cover a whole range of areas including stroke and heart disease to the care of the elderly.

Research by the RCP showed last year there were just over 13,000 consultant physicians across the UK – one in four of all consultants.

But four in 10 vacant posts advertised last year went unfilled, while one in five consultants reported gaps in their junior doctor rotas.

Meanwhile, one in 10 consultants say they often have to carry out junior jobs to ensure patients’ care is not harmed.

Prof Dacre will tell delegates: “I feel sorry for NHS trusts, I really do. Across the country, they have created a raft of new posts to meet the rising demands for patient care, only to find that there is no-one to fill them.

“If we have neither enough trainees nor consultants to run the service now, how are we going to implement a safe seven-day service?”

She will go on to set out the case for extra funding, pointing out hospitals are racking up deficits and that funding lags behind other countries such as France and Germany.

“It is time to revisit our national contribution to healthcare,” she will say.

But a Department of Health spokeswoman pointed out extra money was being invested during this Parliament – £8bn more by 2020.

She said this would help “make sure the right staff and support is available to create a safe NHS seven days a week”.

Source BBC News/Health http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35779006

Not enough doctors for 7-day NHS, says Royal College head