We have all heard of smartphone applications for losing weight, or calculating the calories we burn in a day, or checking the nutritional value of the food we eat. Interestingly, it turns out that numerous apps for tackling even bigger problems continue to be developed. These include asthma, diabetes, seizures, heart disease, and hepatitis. Following is a list of some leading apps for complex health problems.
1. The Autism Quiz App: The app, developed by MindSpec, allows people to test their knowledge of Autism and share information with friends.
2. DASH II: Researchers at Newcastle University developed this app to come up with the best treatment for stroke patients. The app was voted by a public vote as one of 50 best uses of technology.
3. iDichotic: Developed by Joseph Bless at University of Bergen, iDichotic works by simultaneously presenting each ear with a different syllable, and asking the user which syllable is the clearest. The test indicates the active side of the brain.
4. ABMT-based app: The app is based on the principles of a new cognitive treatment for anxiety called attention-bias modification training and is developed by researchers at Hunter College.
5. AceMobile: Researchers in Australia and the UK developed this app by translating the commonly used paper-based test (Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination) for screening for dementia into an app form.
6. TOBY Playpad: Developed by the team of Svetha Venkatesh at Deakin University, the app educates parents on the best at-home therapy interventions as soon as the first symptoms of Autism become evident.
7. SRTS: The stress resilience training system, developed by the US Office of Naval Research, is an iPad app training program that educates users to manage stress by learning biofeedback techniques that work for their individual needs.
8. The app developed by researchers at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, helps sufferers of migraines keep track of their pain by tapping the afflicting areas on a 3D skull on the app.
9. Developed by Dr. Victor Patterson, the app allows non-doctors to determine whether someone is having a seizure and what the relevant actions should be.
10. BeddIt: The app is used in combination with a sensor placed under the sheet, which measures the sleeper’s movement, heart rate and breathing, send the data to the app, which then provides recommendations for improving the quality and quantity of sleep. The app is developed by Joonas Paalasmaa at University of Helsinki.
11. Monarca App: A sensor in the smartphone, along with an app, collect data about abnormal behaviors such as excessive movements or telephone calls that indicate a manic episode, and send the information to the consulting doctor. The app is developed by research at Bielefeld University.
12. SpiroSmart: Developed by researchers at the University of Washington, University of Washington Medicine and Seattle Children’s hospital, the app assess lung function and asthma condition by letting people blowing into their smartphones.
13. Developed by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center, the app serves as an asthma self-management tool for patients.
14. EncephalApp_Stroop: Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University developed this app, which works by assessing the archetypical cognitive dysfunction found in patients with cirrhosis.
15. Hep i-chart: The app provides hepatitis patients with the latest information on drug interaction. Researchers at University of Liverpool developed the app.
16. Plan A Birth Control: The app developed by researchers at University of California, Los Angeles helps make informed decision about birth control by providing relevant information in an easy-to-follow format.
17. Mayo Clinic on Pregnancy: is an app developed for Windows 8 that educates users on pregnancy, and provides all the relevant tips and guidelines.
18. Lose It: Developed at researchers at University Hospital Case Medical Center, the app is in a clinical trail to assess whether using it can help women lose weight gain through pregnancy.
19. Meniere’s Disease app: Developed by researchers at Exeter Medical School, the app allows patients of this rare disease of the inner ear to log the details of their symptoms and compare them with symptoms of patients around the world.
20. The app, designed for people with night blindness, keeps track of sufferer’s location and distance walked from home. The app has been developed by researchers at University of Pakistan.
21. GlassesOff: Developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University, the apps works by training the brain to convert blurry images into clear ones.
22. Led by Dr. Shizuo Mukai and team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, the application uses smartphone camera to photograph the retina and diagnose eye disease.
23. The app, developed by researchers at University of Edinburgh, helps doctors calculate the risk of dying within 3 years of a heart attack, in order to formulate an informed treatment plan .
24. WOW ME 200 mg: Developed by researchers at Rutgers-Camden Nursing School, the app works by educating heart patients about self-management. The acronym stands for Weigh yourself; Measure output of fluids; walk and be active; Take medications; evaluate signs and symptoms; and limit salt intake to 2,000 mg or less, with 1,500 mg being optimal.
25. Developed by David Burt of University of Virginia, School of Medicine, the app works by expediting transmission of diagnostic heart images to the concerned physician.
26. Afib Educator: Developed through a collaboration of various healthcare leaders and organization, the app works by educating users about Atrial Fibrillation and its management.
27. DiabetesIQ: The app has been developed by researchers at University of California, San Francisco and QuantiaMD, and teachers users about Diabetes, its management, and treatment options.
28. The app developed by Dr. Nilay Kavathia and team give patients prepping for a colonoscopy, step- by step instructions on the various dietary restrictions and bowel medications required before the procedure.