You wait for ages for a new meaning for JAM then two come along together

November 29, 2016 | by

Anyone tuning in to the Chancellor’s Autumn statement will be only too well aware of the JAMs – just about managing. However there also another JAM – the JAM Card and app which is a brilliant idea to flag to impatient people that you just need a little more time – Just A Minute, in fact – whether due to age, infirmity or disability. Now there’s an app to go with it too so you can record whether people responded well or not to you flashing the card at them.

So simple…so brilliant!

Hat tip to Prof Mike Short.

Lūbax skin cancer detection app in clinical trials

February 7, 2015 | by

What is that spot? A question that many of us have worried over. A skin cancer detection app developed by Los Angeles-based Lūbax is being tested with physicians and dermatologists in the US, Australia and the UK as of 4 February, World Cancer Day. It uses image recognition software and algorithms to search a proprietary dermatology image database of over 12,000 diagnosed lesions. Their initial large melanoma clinical trials with Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and the University of São Paulo showed sensitivity and specificity in detecting large melanomas in patients. According to their website, they are expanding the database and algorithm to include basal and squamous cell carcinomas in addition to amelanotic melanomas. There’s a signup for the clinical trial only for iPhone, but their execs in a news item have met with Samsung. BioSpectrum Asia, release on Biospace.com, startup profile on Gust.com

Philips Lifeline introduces a mPERS app

August 28, 2014 | by

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/philips-lifeline-app.jpg” thumb_width=”120″ /]Philips Lifeline has debuted in the US an unbranded mPERS-like app which allows the user from a smartphone (iPhone/Android only) to access the Philips Lifeline call center. The app is free but the service to voice connect to their call center, according to their customer center, is a (bargain compared to standard PERS) $13.95. The phone’s GPS geo-locates the person in need. The fact that the introduction is in the ‘dog days of August’ is one indicator that they are readying well ahead of the late fall (autumn) bump in demand. (Both this Editor and Mobihealthnews see a back and fill for the much-touted GoSafe introduction which 18 months later is still not in market.)

But walk with your Editor through this scenario:

  • Smartphone-equipped older person takes a fall, has an accident or is a crime victim
  • Despite the fact that all smartphones have accelerometers, the app does not tie in to this data, (more…)

A very Appy week!

March 8, 2014 | by

Although my fellow editor Chrys has done a great job of covering the Ofcom-sponsored report on attitudes and behaviours of apps users, and The Boss (aka Donna) has highlighted the HIMSS Analytics Mobile Study as well as covering the opposition to the PROTECT legislation, identifying a tax issue that might just be behind it all, there is still more to report on the apps front this week.

Beginning with that PROTECT legislation, the same Brad Thompson that Donna quotes also writes in Mobihealthnews of the recommendations of the FDASIA committee on how the FDA can improve the regulation of mobile health. The overall recommendation is that the “FDA needs to do a better job at (more…)

A mine of app data – free!

February 9, 2014 | by

Vision Mobile has just produced their 6th annual survey of the apps market, entitled “Developer Economics: Ecosystem wars drawing to a close” which is stuffed full of useful information on trends in app development, and is free.

There is so much in there that it is invidious to pick out a few quotes to whet your appetite, however needs must, so here are some, from the introduction:

“Six years on, the mobile ecosystem wars are drawing to a close with Android and iOS capturing over 94% of smartphone sales in Q4 2013. Android continues to dominate Developer Mindshare with 71% of developers that target mobile platforms, developing for Android.” (more…)

Calling all doctorpreneurs (and anyone else who wants to see a brilliant app and meet its creators)

September 5, 2013 | by

Anyone who went to the Royal Society of Medicine’s sell-out event in April on medical apps will remember the brilliant presentation given by Andre Chow on TOUCHsurgery, the (iOS only) app that he and some colleagues created to help surgeons learn procedures, and practice before an operation.

Well Andre is now offering an evening of TOUCHsurgery, drinks and general merriment to anyone seriously interested in his app: ‘doctorpreneurs’ are especially welcome. The date is Friday 13th September, and you can book here.

PS the RSM is repeating the app event in 2014, on 10th April. Brief details are here so please put in your diaries. We are still very keen to include a UK-based health game presentation as none have yet been made known to me following our previous post.

So many apps, so little time

August 27, 2013 | by

Over the past few days there seems to have been a particularly rich set of alerts related to mHealth apps (there’s even been an update to the mHealth Grand Tour website with a nice video to promote the tour that starts on 5th September). Adding to them a couple that others have kindly alerted me to, here are a few that might interest:

Let’s begin with an infographic on the rising popularity of mHealth apps that puts it all into context. However, in some countries mHealth is being held back by outdated privacy laws, and in the US lack of final FDA guidance is considered a check on progress.  If you ever wondered how much data your DNA, or your most recent scan contained, (more…)