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New mobile app assists clinicians in assessing menopausal patients
A new mobile app for iPhone and iPad enables both clinicians and patients to make decisions about menopausal therapies for moderate to severe hot flashes, night sweats, and/or genitourinary symptoms. The app also aids in assessing the patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and fracture.
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The MenoPro app, developed in association with the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), is available free of charge from Apple. The app is designed to aid in the assessment and management of bothersome menopausal symptoms in women aged 45 and older.
Designed for both clinician and patient
A novel feature of the app is its two modes—one for the clinician and another for the patient. The clinician mode enables risk assessment and decision-making to determine whether hormonal therapy might be indicated and to determine the formulation and dosage of the therapy selected. It also features assessment of the patient’s 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease, her risk of breast cancer using the Gail model, and her fracture risk using the FRAX tool. When hormonal therapies are not appropriate, the app steers the clinician to nonhormonal options.
The patient can make use of the app to learn about her different treatment options, including lifestyle modifications. The app guides her through a self-assessment to gauge how far along she is in the menopausal transition, the severity of her symptoms, and her interest in hormonal or nonhormonal therapy. The app begins by recommending lifestyle changes and behavioral factors that can reduce menopausal symptoms. After a 3-month trial of these modifications, the patient is prompted to visit her health-care provider if further relief is needed.
Only FDA-approved drugs are recommended
“The app is completely up to date in terms of information about the newest medications that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration,” says JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, current chair of the NAMS Scientific Program and a past president of NAMS. Dr. Manson is Chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She also is Professor of Medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School.
“The app focuses on FDA-approved medications, including off-label use of medications that may be commonly prescribed in practice to treat hot flashes, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),” she says.
“I think another big advantage is that very often clinicians who are managing patients during the menopausal transition or in early menopause may not be thinking that much about cardiovascular risk or even know how to evaluate it or make use of a 10-year risk score. So the app really helps them to become very familiar with the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, breast cancer risk, and fracture risk, and provides them with the resources to make use of the information.”
An algorithm is available within the app
The app is based on an algorithm that can be accessed within the app by choosing the “About” button. Another feature: the clinician can email a summary of the patient’s assessment directly to her, along with links to resources on a variety of relevant topics.
“In the future, there is a plan to have the app available for other mobile phones and tablet devices in addition to the iPhone and iPad,” says Dr. Manson. “We also hope to have it incorporated into electronic health records, where it could be used for clinical decision-making within the record.”
The app is not intended to replace clinical judgment, she adds. “I think clinicians are really familiar with the concept that, when you’re using an app, clinical judgment remains paramount. The app is not going to replace the clinician’s own discernment of what is going on with the patient.”
For detailed information, see an article on the app in the journal Menopause, available at http://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/our-new-paper.pdf
Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.
A new mobile app for iPhone and iPad enables both clinicians and patients to make decisions about menopausal therapies for moderate to severe hot flashes, night sweats, and/or genitourinary symptoms. The app also aids in assessing the patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and fracture.
|
|
|
The MenoPro app, developed in association with the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), is available free of charge from Apple. The app is designed to aid in the assessment and management of bothersome menopausal symptoms in women aged 45 and older.
Designed for both clinician and patient
A novel feature of the app is its two modes—one for the clinician and another for the patient. The clinician mode enables risk assessment and decision-making to determine whether hormonal therapy might be indicated and to determine the formulation and dosage of the therapy selected. It also features assessment of the patient’s 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease, her risk of breast cancer using the Gail model, and her fracture risk using the FRAX tool. When hormonal therapies are not appropriate, the app steers the clinician to nonhormonal options.
The patient can make use of the app to learn about her different treatment options, including lifestyle modifications. The app guides her through a self-assessment to gauge how far along she is in the menopausal transition, the severity of her symptoms, and her interest in hormonal or nonhormonal therapy. The app begins by recommending lifestyle changes and behavioral factors that can reduce menopausal symptoms. After a 3-month trial of these modifications, the patient is prompted to visit her health-care provider if further relief is needed.
Only FDA-approved drugs are recommended
“The app is completely up to date in terms of information about the newest medications that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration,” says JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, current chair of the NAMS Scientific Program and a past president of NAMS. Dr. Manson is Chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She also is Professor of Medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School.
“The app focuses on FDA-approved medications, including off-label use of medications that may be commonly prescribed in practice to treat hot flashes, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),” she says.
“I think another big advantage is that very often clinicians who are managing patients during the menopausal transition or in early menopause may not be thinking that much about cardiovascular risk or even know how to evaluate it or make use of a 10-year risk score. So the app really helps them to become very familiar with the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, breast cancer risk, and fracture risk, and provides them with the resources to make use of the information.”
An algorithm is available within the app
The app is based on an algorithm that can be accessed within the app by choosing the “About” button. Another feature: the clinician can email a summary of the patient’s assessment directly to her, along with links to resources on a variety of relevant topics.
“In the future, there is a plan to have the app available for other mobile phones and tablet devices in addition to the iPhone and iPad,” says Dr. Manson. “We also hope to have it incorporated into electronic health records, where it could be used for clinical decision-making within the record.”
The app is not intended to replace clinical judgment, she adds. “I think clinicians are really familiar with the concept that, when you’re using an app, clinical judgment remains paramount. The app is not going to replace the clinician’s own discernment of what is going on with the patient.”
For detailed information, see an article on the app in the journal Menopause, available at http://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/our-new-paper.pdf
Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.
A new mobile app for iPhone and iPad enables both clinicians and patients to make decisions about menopausal therapies for moderate to severe hot flashes, night sweats, and/or genitourinary symptoms. The app also aids in assessing the patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and fracture.
|
|
|
The MenoPro app, developed in association with the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), is available free of charge from Apple. The app is designed to aid in the assessment and management of bothersome menopausal symptoms in women aged 45 and older.
Designed for both clinician and patient
A novel feature of the app is its two modes—one for the clinician and another for the patient. The clinician mode enables risk assessment and decision-making to determine whether hormonal therapy might be indicated and to determine the formulation and dosage of the therapy selected. It also features assessment of the patient’s 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease, her risk of breast cancer using the Gail model, and her fracture risk using the FRAX tool. When hormonal therapies are not appropriate, the app steers the clinician to nonhormonal options.
The patient can make use of the app to learn about her different treatment options, including lifestyle modifications. The app guides her through a self-assessment to gauge how far along she is in the menopausal transition, the severity of her symptoms, and her interest in hormonal or nonhormonal therapy. The app begins by recommending lifestyle changes and behavioral factors that can reduce menopausal symptoms. After a 3-month trial of these modifications, the patient is prompted to visit her health-care provider if further relief is needed.
Only FDA-approved drugs are recommended
“The app is completely up to date in terms of information about the newest medications that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration,” says JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, current chair of the NAMS Scientific Program and a past president of NAMS. Dr. Manson is Chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She also is Professor of Medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School.
“The app focuses on FDA-approved medications, including off-label use of medications that may be commonly prescribed in practice to treat hot flashes, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),” she says.
“I think another big advantage is that very often clinicians who are managing patients during the menopausal transition or in early menopause may not be thinking that much about cardiovascular risk or even know how to evaluate it or make use of a 10-year risk score. So the app really helps them to become very familiar with the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, breast cancer risk, and fracture risk, and provides them with the resources to make use of the information.”
An algorithm is available within the app
The app is based on an algorithm that can be accessed within the app by choosing the “About” button. Another feature: the clinician can email a summary of the patient’s assessment directly to her, along with links to resources on a variety of relevant topics.
“In the future, there is a plan to have the app available for other mobile phones and tablet devices in addition to the iPhone and iPad,” says Dr. Manson. “We also hope to have it incorporated into electronic health records, where it could be used for clinical decision-making within the record.”
The app is not intended to replace clinical judgment, she adds. “I think clinicians are really familiar with the concept that, when you’re using an app, clinical judgment remains paramount. The app is not going to replace the clinician’s own discernment of what is going on with the patient.”
For detailed information, see an article on the app in the journal Menopause, available at http://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/our-new-paper.pdf
Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.
Sprout Pregnancy Essentials
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
An app to help your patient lose weight (May 2012)
This handy toolkit helps mothers-to-be record important details like weight gain, kicks, and contraction times, with personalized timelines, checklists, comprehensive information about fetal development, and a journaling option.
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
For moms-to-be: quality information and a tracking tool
When I practiced obstetrics, my group provided patients with a pocket-sized, trifold pregnancy tracker at their first prenatal visit for them to bring to each subsequent appointment. In addition to data such as Rh status and estimated due date, blood pressure, weight, and fundal height were also recorded. The pregnancy tracker served two purposes: 1) a backup mini medical record in case their chart didn’t make it from the medical records department to the clinic on a particular day and 2) a keepsake.
Pregnancy apps take the concept of that little piece of cardboard to a whole new level. One highly rated pregnancy app is Sprout™ Pregnancy Essentials (recommended by Consumer Reports2 and named one of the 50 Best iPhone Apps in 2012 by Time magazine3) from Med ART Studios.4
With Sprout, the user enters her due date and the app automatically tracks the pregnancy week by week. Each time the app is accessed, the screen shows a realistic image of a developing fetus at the appropriate gestational age along with a pregnancy timeline. Tools allow the user to track her weight at each Ob visit. There is also a kick counter as well as a contraction timer for when the time comes.
Each week of the pregnancy is linked to medical information appropriate for the gestational age, such as second trimester screening at week 15 and group B streptococcus testing at week 35. The information is brief, but high-quality, and covers everything from prenatal testing and screening for gestational diabetes to stretch marks and carpal tunnel syndrome. From each topic, the user seamlessly can add preloaded questions to an “M.D. visit planner” or pregnancy-related tasks (such as making an appointment for a glucose challenge test) to a “to do” list.
A free version called Sprout Lite comes in English and Japanese. The premium version for $3.99 is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. The premium version is free of ads; has more advanced images of a developing fetus, with striking graphics; allows the user to share information via Facebook and e-mail; and has a timeline that adjusts to the baby’s gestational age. Both Sprout apps are currently only available for the iPhone and iPad.
Pros. Sprout is easy to use, has beautiful graphics, and the medical information is accurate and accessible. Sprout Lite contains the same high-quality information.
Cons. There is no way to track other medical data in addition to weight, such as fundal height, Rh status, or vaccinations. There is also a price tag to have the app be free of advertisements, get the best graphics, and have a more interactive user experience.
Verdict. It is always nice to be able to recommend a product with high-quality medical information. Sprout Lite always can be road tested first, but for those who live on Facebook, enjoy a more interactive product, hate advertisements, or love impressive graphics, the $3.99 may very well be worth it.
Keep a journal and create a book
While leaving the app with its data on the iPhone or iPad may be enough of a keepsake for some women, those who want to create a pregnancy book can obtain a separate Sprout Pregnancy Journal app-to-book™.5
This app allows the user to write journal entries, upload photos, and then, if desired, download a PDF of the journal or incorporate the beautiful images from the Sprout app to create a bound pregnancy journal (softcover: $19.95 for the first 40 pages; hardcover: $34.95 for the first 40 pages; additional charge for added pages).
The journal app is free to download for a 2-week trial. At the end of 2 weeks there is a choice:
- $4.99 to continue to use the app; includes cloud backup of data
- $7.99 to get cloud backup plus the PDF download (includes a discount for prepaying for the PDF plus $7.99 discount for a print book)
- If the $7.99 prepaid option isn’t chosen at the end of the 2-week trial, the PDF is $9.95.
The Sprout Pregnancy Journal app is available for iPhone, iPad Touch, and iPad.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web
(December 2011)
To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice?
(August 2011)
For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online
(March 2011)
Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential
(September 2010)
1. Smith A. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Published March 1, 2012. Accessed August 14, 2012.
2. Morris N. App review: Sprout for iPad and iPhone. Consumer Reports Web site. http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/10/app-review-sprout-for-ipad-and-iphone.html. Published October 10, 2011. Accessed August 13, 2012.
3. Peckham M. 50 best iPhone apps 2012: Pregnancy (Sprout). http://techland.time.com/2012/02/15/50-best-iphone-apps-2012/?iid=tl-article-mostpop1#all. Published February 15, 2012. Accessed August 13, 2012.
4. Sprout Pregnancy Essentials. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
5. Sprout Pregnancy Journal. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-journal-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
An app to help your patient lose weight (May 2012)
This handy toolkit helps mothers-to-be record important details like weight gain, kicks, and contraction times, with personalized timelines, checklists, comprehensive information about fetal development, and a journaling option.
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
For moms-to-be: quality information and a tracking tool
When I practiced obstetrics, my group provided patients with a pocket-sized, trifold pregnancy tracker at their first prenatal visit for them to bring to each subsequent appointment. In addition to data such as Rh status and estimated due date, blood pressure, weight, and fundal height were also recorded. The pregnancy tracker served two purposes: 1) a backup mini medical record in case their chart didn’t make it from the medical records department to the clinic on a particular day and 2) a keepsake.
Pregnancy apps take the concept of that little piece of cardboard to a whole new level. One highly rated pregnancy app is Sprout™ Pregnancy Essentials (recommended by Consumer Reports2 and named one of the 50 Best iPhone Apps in 2012 by Time magazine3) from Med ART Studios.4
With Sprout, the user enters her due date and the app automatically tracks the pregnancy week by week. Each time the app is accessed, the screen shows a realistic image of a developing fetus at the appropriate gestational age along with a pregnancy timeline. Tools allow the user to track her weight at each Ob visit. There is also a kick counter as well as a contraction timer for when the time comes.
Each week of the pregnancy is linked to medical information appropriate for the gestational age, such as second trimester screening at week 15 and group B streptococcus testing at week 35. The information is brief, but high-quality, and covers everything from prenatal testing and screening for gestational diabetes to stretch marks and carpal tunnel syndrome. From each topic, the user seamlessly can add preloaded questions to an “M.D. visit planner” or pregnancy-related tasks (such as making an appointment for a glucose challenge test) to a “to do” list.
A free version called Sprout Lite comes in English and Japanese. The premium version for $3.99 is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. The premium version is free of ads; has more advanced images of a developing fetus, with striking graphics; allows the user to share information via Facebook and e-mail; and has a timeline that adjusts to the baby’s gestational age. Both Sprout apps are currently only available for the iPhone and iPad.
Pros. Sprout is easy to use, has beautiful graphics, and the medical information is accurate and accessible. Sprout Lite contains the same high-quality information.
Cons. There is no way to track other medical data in addition to weight, such as fundal height, Rh status, or vaccinations. There is also a price tag to have the app be free of advertisements, get the best graphics, and have a more interactive user experience.
Verdict. It is always nice to be able to recommend a product with high-quality medical information. Sprout Lite always can be road tested first, but for those who live on Facebook, enjoy a more interactive product, hate advertisements, or love impressive graphics, the $3.99 may very well be worth it.
Keep a journal and create a book
While leaving the app with its data on the iPhone or iPad may be enough of a keepsake for some women, those who want to create a pregnancy book can obtain a separate Sprout Pregnancy Journal app-to-book™.5
This app allows the user to write journal entries, upload photos, and then, if desired, download a PDF of the journal or incorporate the beautiful images from the Sprout app to create a bound pregnancy journal (softcover: $19.95 for the first 40 pages; hardcover: $34.95 for the first 40 pages; additional charge for added pages).
The journal app is free to download for a 2-week trial. At the end of 2 weeks there is a choice:
- $4.99 to continue to use the app; includes cloud backup of data
- $7.99 to get cloud backup plus the PDF download (includes a discount for prepaying for the PDF plus $7.99 discount for a print book)
- If the $7.99 prepaid option isn’t chosen at the end of the 2-week trial, the PDF is $9.95.
The Sprout Pregnancy Journal app is available for iPhone, iPad Touch, and iPad.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web
(December 2011)
To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice?
(August 2011)
For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online
(March 2011)
Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential
(September 2010)
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
An app to help your patient lose weight (May 2012)
This handy toolkit helps mothers-to-be record important details like weight gain, kicks, and contraction times, with personalized timelines, checklists, comprehensive information about fetal development, and a journaling option.
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
For moms-to-be: quality information and a tracking tool
When I practiced obstetrics, my group provided patients with a pocket-sized, trifold pregnancy tracker at their first prenatal visit for them to bring to each subsequent appointment. In addition to data such as Rh status and estimated due date, blood pressure, weight, and fundal height were also recorded. The pregnancy tracker served two purposes: 1) a backup mini medical record in case their chart didn’t make it from the medical records department to the clinic on a particular day and 2) a keepsake.
Pregnancy apps take the concept of that little piece of cardboard to a whole new level. One highly rated pregnancy app is Sprout™ Pregnancy Essentials (recommended by Consumer Reports2 and named one of the 50 Best iPhone Apps in 2012 by Time magazine3) from Med ART Studios.4
With Sprout, the user enters her due date and the app automatically tracks the pregnancy week by week. Each time the app is accessed, the screen shows a realistic image of a developing fetus at the appropriate gestational age along with a pregnancy timeline. Tools allow the user to track her weight at each Ob visit. There is also a kick counter as well as a contraction timer for when the time comes.
Each week of the pregnancy is linked to medical information appropriate for the gestational age, such as second trimester screening at week 15 and group B streptococcus testing at week 35. The information is brief, but high-quality, and covers everything from prenatal testing and screening for gestational diabetes to stretch marks and carpal tunnel syndrome. From each topic, the user seamlessly can add preloaded questions to an “M.D. visit planner” or pregnancy-related tasks (such as making an appointment for a glucose challenge test) to a “to do” list.
A free version called Sprout Lite comes in English and Japanese. The premium version for $3.99 is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. The premium version is free of ads; has more advanced images of a developing fetus, with striking graphics; allows the user to share information via Facebook and e-mail; and has a timeline that adjusts to the baby’s gestational age. Both Sprout apps are currently only available for the iPhone and iPad.
Pros. Sprout is easy to use, has beautiful graphics, and the medical information is accurate and accessible. Sprout Lite contains the same high-quality information.
Cons. There is no way to track other medical data in addition to weight, such as fundal height, Rh status, or vaccinations. There is also a price tag to have the app be free of advertisements, get the best graphics, and have a more interactive user experience.
Verdict. It is always nice to be able to recommend a product with high-quality medical information. Sprout Lite always can be road tested first, but for those who live on Facebook, enjoy a more interactive product, hate advertisements, or love impressive graphics, the $3.99 may very well be worth it.
Keep a journal and create a book
While leaving the app with its data on the iPhone or iPad may be enough of a keepsake for some women, those who want to create a pregnancy book can obtain a separate Sprout Pregnancy Journal app-to-book™.5
This app allows the user to write journal entries, upload photos, and then, if desired, download a PDF of the journal or incorporate the beautiful images from the Sprout app to create a bound pregnancy journal (softcover: $19.95 for the first 40 pages; hardcover: $34.95 for the first 40 pages; additional charge for added pages).
The journal app is free to download for a 2-week trial. At the end of 2 weeks there is a choice:
- $4.99 to continue to use the app; includes cloud backup of data
- $7.99 to get cloud backup plus the PDF download (includes a discount for prepaying for the PDF plus $7.99 discount for a print book)
- If the $7.99 prepaid option isn’t chosen at the end of the 2-week trial, the PDF is $9.95.
The Sprout Pregnancy Journal app is available for iPhone, iPad Touch, and iPad.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web
(December 2011)
To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice?
(August 2011)
For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online
(March 2011)
Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential
(September 2010)
1. Smith A. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Published March 1, 2012. Accessed August 14, 2012.
2. Morris N. App review: Sprout for iPad and iPhone. Consumer Reports Web site. http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/10/app-review-sprout-for-ipad-and-iphone.html. Published October 10, 2011. Accessed August 13, 2012.
3. Peckham M. 50 best iPhone apps 2012: Pregnancy (Sprout). http://techland.time.com/2012/02/15/50-best-iphone-apps-2012/?iid=tl-article-mostpop1#all. Published February 15, 2012. Accessed August 13, 2012.
4. Sprout Pregnancy Essentials. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
5. Sprout Pregnancy Journal. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-journal-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
1. Smith A. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Published March 1, 2012. Accessed August 14, 2012.
2. Morris N. App review: Sprout for iPad and iPhone. Consumer Reports Web site. http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/10/app-review-sprout-for-ipad-and-iphone.html. Published October 10, 2011. Accessed August 13, 2012.
3. Peckham M. 50 best iPhone apps 2012: Pregnancy (Sprout). http://techland.time.com/2012/02/15/50-best-iphone-apps-2012/?iid=tl-article-mostpop1#all. Published February 15, 2012. Accessed August 13, 2012.
4. Sprout Pregnancy Essentials. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
5. Sprout Pregnancy Journal. Med ART Studios Web site. http://medart-studios.com/sprout-pregnancy-journal-iphone-app/. Accessed August 13, 2012.
An app to help your patient lose weight
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE OTHER APP REVIEWS BY DR. GUNTER?
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
Sprout Pregnancy Essentials: An app to help your patient track her pregnancy (September 2012)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
The increasing use of smartphones among women presents an opportunity to address health issues, such as obesity.
Forty-four percent of US women own a smartphone, according to the latest data.1 Ownership is highest among younger women, with more than 60% of women between the ages of 18 and 34 owning one of these devices.1
One of the features that makes a smartphone, well, smart is the ability to run apps (short for software “applications”). Apps started out as ways to enhance access to email or calendars, but the market has ex-ploded—both demand and supply—so that there are now apps for essentially anything you might ever need. Apple’s app store, the largest, boasts more than 500,000 apps, and more than 25 billion apps had been downloaded by March 2012.2 Medical app developers are keen to capitalize on our ever-increasing “app”-etite.
Medical apps can be divided into two categories: those that can help the patient and those that can help the provider. This series will review what I call prescription apps—in other words, apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care.
Apps are not new to your patients
Many of your patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. I know that my smartphone users are uniformly interested in hearing my recommendations, and it is not uncommon that the free apps I recommend are downloaded before my patient leaves the office.
If you are not an app user yourself, there are two basic things that you should know. First, some apps are free and others are not, although that is not necessarily a measure of quality or utility. Second, apps must be written for the particular device, so it is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone. As of February 2012, the most common devices are the Android (20% of cell phone users), iPhone (19%), and Blackberry (6%).1 Some apps can also be used on tablets (e.g., iPad, Galaxy) and e-book readers (e.g., Nook, Kindle). Use of these devices is also increasing; currently, 29% of Americans own either a tablet or an e-book reader.3
When the clinical need is weight loss
Lose It! is a weight-management app that tracks calories, exercise, and weight. Considering that more than 30% of US women are obese, working toward a healthy weight is a common office discussion and any additional tool is wel-come.4 Journaling, or recording every single thing that is eaten, is a key component of successful dieting. Smartphone users tend to have their phones with them wherever they are, so an app is an ideal tool for the journaling commitment needed for weight loss.
Lose It! is free and works on the following platforms:
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Nook Color
- Nook Tablet.
Advantages include ease of use
The patient need only enter her current weight and height (measure your patient during the visit to ensure that she gets started with accurate numbers), the weight she hopes to attain (you can discuss this as well), and how many pounds she hopes to lose each week, and the app calculates the recommended calorie intake to achieve this goal. The app comes preloaded with thousands of foods, and it enables barcode scanning to upload the food and nutritional content with just a click of the phone’s camera.
The database can be expanded by adding unlisted foods and even recipes. Synchronizing the phone with Loseit.com allows for emailed summaries and reminders when the patient forgets to log a meal. There is also a wide repository of exercises to choose from when logging an activity.
A couple of cons
There is no Lose It! app for the Blackberry—and no plans to write one.
Another disadvantage is the extremely basic exercise journaling (no weekly or review function), and exercise calories are automatically added into the user’s daily allotment—not every dieter wants their calories set up this way.
This is the app I used to journal my 50-lb weight loss (and 6 months of maintenance). I think that testimonial speaks for itself.
In the next installment: an app that reminds your patient to take her birth control pills.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients' search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweight the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What's the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
1. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Accessed April 9, 2012.
2. Apple app store downloads top 25 billion [press release]. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/05Apples-App-Store-Downloads-Top-25-Billion.html. Accessed April 9, 2012 .
3. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holiday gift-giving period. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/01/23/tablet-and-e-book-reader-ownership-nearly-double-over-the-holiday-gift-giving-period/. Accessed April 9, 2012.
4. National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010. NCHS Data Brief No. 82; January 2012.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE OTHER APP REVIEWS BY DR. GUNTER?
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
Sprout Pregnancy Essentials: An app to help your patient track her pregnancy (September 2012)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
The increasing use of smartphones among women presents an opportunity to address health issues, such as obesity.
Forty-four percent of US women own a smartphone, according to the latest data.1 Ownership is highest among younger women, with more than 60% of women between the ages of 18 and 34 owning one of these devices.1
One of the features that makes a smartphone, well, smart is the ability to run apps (short for software “applications”). Apps started out as ways to enhance access to email or calendars, but the market has ex-ploded—both demand and supply—so that there are now apps for essentially anything you might ever need. Apple’s app store, the largest, boasts more than 500,000 apps, and more than 25 billion apps had been downloaded by March 2012.2 Medical app developers are keen to capitalize on our ever-increasing “app”-etite.
Medical apps can be divided into two categories: those that can help the patient and those that can help the provider. This series will review what I call prescription apps—in other words, apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care.
Apps are not new to your patients
Many of your patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. I know that my smartphone users are uniformly interested in hearing my recommendations, and it is not uncommon that the free apps I recommend are downloaded before my patient leaves the office.
If you are not an app user yourself, there are two basic things that you should know. First, some apps are free and others are not, although that is not necessarily a measure of quality or utility. Second, apps must be written for the particular device, so it is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone. As of February 2012, the most common devices are the Android (20% of cell phone users), iPhone (19%), and Blackberry (6%).1 Some apps can also be used on tablets (e.g., iPad, Galaxy) and e-book readers (e.g., Nook, Kindle). Use of these devices is also increasing; currently, 29% of Americans own either a tablet or an e-book reader.3
When the clinical need is weight loss
Lose It! is a weight-management app that tracks calories, exercise, and weight. Considering that more than 30% of US women are obese, working toward a healthy weight is a common office discussion and any additional tool is wel-come.4 Journaling, or recording every single thing that is eaten, is a key component of successful dieting. Smartphone users tend to have their phones with them wherever they are, so an app is an ideal tool for the journaling commitment needed for weight loss.
Lose It! is free and works on the following platforms:
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Nook Color
- Nook Tablet.
Advantages include ease of use
The patient need only enter her current weight and height (measure your patient during the visit to ensure that she gets started with accurate numbers), the weight she hopes to attain (you can discuss this as well), and how many pounds she hopes to lose each week, and the app calculates the recommended calorie intake to achieve this goal. The app comes preloaded with thousands of foods, and it enables barcode scanning to upload the food and nutritional content with just a click of the phone’s camera.
The database can be expanded by adding unlisted foods and even recipes. Synchronizing the phone with Loseit.com allows for emailed summaries and reminders when the patient forgets to log a meal. There is also a wide repository of exercises to choose from when logging an activity.
A couple of cons
There is no Lose It! app for the Blackberry—and no plans to write one.
Another disadvantage is the extremely basic exercise journaling (no weekly or review function), and exercise calories are automatically added into the user’s daily allotment—not every dieter wants their calories set up this way.
This is the app I used to journal my 50-lb weight loss (and 6 months of maintenance). I think that testimonial speaks for itself.
In the next installment: an app that reminds your patient to take her birth control pills.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients' search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweight the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What's the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE OTHER APP REVIEWS BY DR. GUNTER?
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain (February 2013)
Sprout Pregnancy Essentials: An app to help your patient track her pregnancy (September 2012)
An app to help your patient remember to take her OC (July 2012)
The increasing use of smartphones among women presents an opportunity to address health issues, such as obesity.
Forty-four percent of US women own a smartphone, according to the latest data.1 Ownership is highest among younger women, with more than 60% of women between the ages of 18 and 34 owning one of these devices.1
One of the features that makes a smartphone, well, smart is the ability to run apps (short for software “applications”). Apps started out as ways to enhance access to email or calendars, but the market has ex-ploded—both demand and supply—so that there are now apps for essentially anything you might ever need. Apple’s app store, the largest, boasts more than 500,000 apps, and more than 25 billion apps had been downloaded by March 2012.2 Medical app developers are keen to capitalize on our ever-increasing “app”-etite.
Medical apps can be divided into two categories: those that can help the patient and those that can help the provider. This series will review what I call prescription apps—in other words, apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care.
Apps are not new to your patients
Many of your patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. I know that my smartphone users are uniformly interested in hearing my recommendations, and it is not uncommon that the free apps I recommend are downloaded before my patient leaves the office.
If you are not an app user yourself, there are two basic things that you should know. First, some apps are free and others are not, although that is not necessarily a measure of quality or utility. Second, apps must be written for the particular device, so it is important to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone. As of February 2012, the most common devices are the Android (20% of cell phone users), iPhone (19%), and Blackberry (6%).1 Some apps can also be used on tablets (e.g., iPad, Galaxy) and e-book readers (e.g., Nook, Kindle). Use of these devices is also increasing; currently, 29% of Americans own either a tablet or an e-book reader.3
When the clinical need is weight loss
Lose It! is a weight-management app that tracks calories, exercise, and weight. Considering that more than 30% of US women are obese, working toward a healthy weight is a common office discussion and any additional tool is wel-come.4 Journaling, or recording every single thing that is eaten, is a key component of successful dieting. Smartphone users tend to have their phones with them wherever they are, so an app is an ideal tool for the journaling commitment needed for weight loss.
Lose It! is free and works on the following platforms:
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Nook Color
- Nook Tablet.
Advantages include ease of use
The patient need only enter her current weight and height (measure your patient during the visit to ensure that she gets started with accurate numbers), the weight she hopes to attain (you can discuss this as well), and how many pounds she hopes to lose each week, and the app calculates the recommended calorie intake to achieve this goal. The app comes preloaded with thousands of foods, and it enables barcode scanning to upload the food and nutritional content with just a click of the phone’s camera.
The database can be expanded by adding unlisted foods and even recipes. Synchronizing the phone with Loseit.com allows for emailed summaries and reminders when the patient forgets to log a meal. There is also a wide repository of exercises to choose from when logging an activity.
A couple of cons
There is no Lose It! app for the Blackberry—and no plans to write one.
Another disadvantage is the extremely basic exercise journaling (no weekly or review function), and exercise calories are automatically added into the user’s daily allotment—not every dieter wants their calories set up this way.
This is the app I used to journal my 50-lb weight loss (and 6 months of maintenance). I think that testimonial speaks for itself.
In the next installment: an app that reminds your patient to take her birth control pills.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients' search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweight the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What's the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
1. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Accessed April 9, 2012.
2. Apple app store downloads top 25 billion [press release]. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/05Apples-App-Store-Downloads-Top-25-Billion.html. Accessed April 9, 2012 .
3. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holiday gift-giving period. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/01/23/tablet-and-e-book-reader-ownership-nearly-double-over-the-holiday-gift-giving-period/. Accessed April 9, 2012.
4. National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010. NCHS Data Brief No. 82; January 2012.
1. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Nearly half of American adults are Smartphone owners. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx. Accessed April 9, 2012.
2. Apple app store downloads top 25 billion [press release]. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/05Apples-App-Store-Downloads-Top-25-Billion.html. Accessed April 9, 2012 .
3. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holiday gift-giving period. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/01/23/tablet-and-e-book-reader-ownership-nearly-double-over-the-holiday-gift-giving-period/. Accessed April 9, 2012.
4. National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010. NCHS Data Brief No. 82; January 2012.
An app to help your patient with chronic pelvic pain
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often, the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is helpful to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
Chronic pelvic pain: multifactorial
Chronic pelvic pain, like most chronic pain conditions, is multifactorial in nature. It is not surprising then that most women with chronic pelvic pain do best with a multidisciplinary management approach that addresses both physical and emotional well-being, including the mind-body aspect of chronic pain (how mood and emotions affect pain), exercise, pacing of activities, attention to sleep hygiene, and the role of dysfunctional eating patterns. However, a patient’s access to formal mind-body programs or even a pain psychologist can be hard to come by for a variety of reasons.
An app that tracks pain and treatment
WebMD Pain Coach is a mobile mind-body program and pain coach all rolled into one. While specifically designed for nongynecologic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, migraine, back pain), the app works just as well for pelvic pain. Pain conditions, such as pelvic pain, that are not preloaded into the app are easy to add.1,2
WebMD Pain Coach provides a way for the user to journal as well as track her pain scores, pain triggers, mood, sleep, diet, and response to therapies. It can provide a snapshot, yearly for instance, of tracked pain levels and is preloaded with goals that a user can customize easily. The app also is loaded with excellent pain management tips, videos, and slide shows. There are more than 300 patient-focused articles from the archives of WebMD and other sources that have been reviewed by experts. Progress and notes can be converted into a PDF for use at home or with a health-care provider—a very helpful tool as it can be hard to arrange the many domains of food, rest, exercise, mood, treatments, and pain scores in an organized fashion.1,2
Pros: With a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic pain, it can be very helpful for patients to track their daily activity, pain triggers, pain levels, and tried therapies. The app provides an opportunity to learn more about the mind–body connection, which is a core component of effective pain management. This app also has excellent medical information and useful strategies for managing chronic pain. It’s easy to use as a source of information, a journal, and a pocket coach.
Cons: This is a free app for iPhone, iTouch, and the iPad—but currently only available for Apple products.
Verdict: This is a great tool on many levels. It would be useful for someone who just wants to track their pain and triggers, but also helpful for the patient who wants to obtain more control and learn more about managing pain. This app would be complementary for someone already engaged in mind–body work, but also be useful for someone who does not have access to those services.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweigh the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
1. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach: A Better Day Starts Here. http://www.webmd.com/webmdpaincoachapp. Accessed January 17, 2013.
2. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach. iTunes Preview. Apple, Inc. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/webmd-pain-coach/id536303342?mt=8. Released September 17, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2013.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter. Dr. Gunter serves as an OBG Management Contributing Editor.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter. Dr. Gunter serves as an OBG Management Contributing Editor.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Jennifer Gunter, MD
Dr. Gunter is an ObGyn in San Francisco. She is the author of The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies–from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond (Da Capo Press, 2010). Dr. Gunter blogs at http://www.drjengunter.com/. Find her on Twitter at @DrJenGunter. Dr. Gunter serves as an OBG Management Contributing Editor.
Dr. Gunter reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often, the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is helpful to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
Chronic pelvic pain: multifactorial
Chronic pelvic pain, like most chronic pain conditions, is multifactorial in nature. It is not surprising then that most women with chronic pelvic pain do best with a multidisciplinary management approach that addresses both physical and emotional well-being, including the mind-body aspect of chronic pain (how mood and emotions affect pain), exercise, pacing of activities, attention to sleep hygiene, and the role of dysfunctional eating patterns. However, a patient’s access to formal mind-body programs or even a pain psychologist can be hard to come by for a variety of reasons.
An app that tracks pain and treatment
WebMD Pain Coach is a mobile mind-body program and pain coach all rolled into one. While specifically designed for nongynecologic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, migraine, back pain), the app works just as well for pelvic pain. Pain conditions, such as pelvic pain, that are not preloaded into the app are easy to add.1,2
WebMD Pain Coach provides a way for the user to journal as well as track her pain scores, pain triggers, mood, sleep, diet, and response to therapies. It can provide a snapshot, yearly for instance, of tracked pain levels and is preloaded with goals that a user can customize easily. The app also is loaded with excellent pain management tips, videos, and slide shows. There are more than 300 patient-focused articles from the archives of WebMD and other sources that have been reviewed by experts. Progress and notes can be converted into a PDF for use at home or with a health-care provider—a very helpful tool as it can be hard to arrange the many domains of food, rest, exercise, mood, treatments, and pain scores in an organized fashion.1,2
Pros: With a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic pain, it can be very helpful for patients to track their daily activity, pain triggers, pain levels, and tried therapies. The app provides an opportunity to learn more about the mind–body connection, which is a core component of effective pain management. This app also has excellent medical information and useful strategies for managing chronic pain. It’s easy to use as a source of information, a journal, and a pocket coach.
Cons: This is a free app for iPhone, iTouch, and the iPad—but currently only available for Apple products.
Verdict: This is a great tool on many levels. It would be useful for someone who just wants to track their pain and triggers, but also helpful for the patient who wants to obtain more control and learn more about managing pain. This app would be complementary for someone already engaged in mind–body work, but also be useful for someone who does not have access to those services.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweigh the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
In this series, I review what I call prescription apps—apps that you might consider recommending to your patient to enhance her medical care. Many patients are already looking at medical apps and want to hear your opinion. Often, the free apps I recommend to patients are downloaded before they leave my office. When recommending apps, their cost (not necessarily a measure of quality or utility) and platform (device that the app has been designed for) should be taken into account. It is helpful to know whether the app you are recommending is supported by your patient’s smartphone.
Chronic pelvic pain: multifactorial
Chronic pelvic pain, like most chronic pain conditions, is multifactorial in nature. It is not surprising then that most women with chronic pelvic pain do best with a multidisciplinary management approach that addresses both physical and emotional well-being, including the mind-body aspect of chronic pain (how mood and emotions affect pain), exercise, pacing of activities, attention to sleep hygiene, and the role of dysfunctional eating patterns. However, a patient’s access to formal mind-body programs or even a pain psychologist can be hard to come by for a variety of reasons.
An app that tracks pain and treatment
WebMD Pain Coach is a mobile mind-body program and pain coach all rolled into one. While specifically designed for nongynecologic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, migraine, back pain), the app works just as well for pelvic pain. Pain conditions, such as pelvic pain, that are not preloaded into the app are easy to add.1,2
WebMD Pain Coach provides a way for the user to journal as well as track her pain scores, pain triggers, mood, sleep, diet, and response to therapies. It can provide a snapshot, yearly for instance, of tracked pain levels and is preloaded with goals that a user can customize easily. The app also is loaded with excellent pain management tips, videos, and slide shows. There are more than 300 patient-focused articles from the archives of WebMD and other sources that have been reviewed by experts. Progress and notes can be converted into a PDF for use at home or with a health-care provider—a very helpful tool as it can be hard to arrange the many domains of food, rest, exercise, mood, treatments, and pain scores in an organized fashion.1,2
Pros: With a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic pain, it can be very helpful for patients to track their daily activity, pain triggers, pain levels, and tried therapies. The app provides an opportunity to learn more about the mind–body connection, which is a core component of effective pain management. This app also has excellent medical information and useful strategies for managing chronic pain. It’s easy to use as a source of information, a journal, and a pocket coach.
Cons: This is a free app for iPhone, iTouch, and the iPad—but currently only available for Apple products.
Verdict: This is a great tool on many levels. It would be useful for someone who just wants to track their pain and triggers, but also helpful for the patient who wants to obtain more control and learn more about managing pain. This app would be complementary for someone already engaged in mind–body work, but also be useful for someone who does not have access to those services.
- Why (and how) you should encourage your patients’ search for health information on the Web (December 2011)
- Does the risk of unplanned pregnancy outweigh the risk of VTE from hormonal contraception? (Guest Editorial, October 2012)
- To blog or not to blog? What’s the answer for you and your practice? (August 2011)
- For better or, maybe worse, patients are judging your care online (March 2011)
- Twitter 101 for ObGyns: Pearls, pitfalls, and potential (September 2010)
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think.
1. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach: A Better Day Starts Here. http://www.webmd.com/webmdpaincoachapp. Accessed January 17, 2013.
2. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach. iTunes Preview. Apple, Inc. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/webmd-pain-coach/id536303342?mt=8. Released September 17, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2013.
1. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach: A Better Day Starts Here. http://www.webmd.com/webmdpaincoachapp. Accessed January 17, 2013.
2. WebMD. WebMD Pain Coach. iTunes Preview. Apple, Inc. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/webmd-pain-coach/id536303342?mt=8. Released September 17, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2013.