Our Mobile Health and Parkinson’s UK are to create a curated library of health and care apps and devices for people with Parkinson’s.
The app library is in response to an increasing demand for digital health solutions from people with the condition.
People with Parkinson’s can expect to find apps that track symptoms and help them to manage their condition within the library, which is expected to launch early next year, all of which have been rigorously assessed by independent experts and tested by users who also have Parkinson’s.
Our Mobile Health will source the apps from developers and review them against their rigorous quality assurance process.
The reviews are conducted by a panel of independent experts and look at a range of areas like patient safety, data security and indicators of effectiveness.
Julie Bretland, founder and CEO of Our Mobile Health, says, “It’s fantastic that Parkinson’s UK are responding to the changing needs of people with Parkinson’s and embracing digital health interventions as convenient and supportive tools for those people living with and managing lifelong conditions on a daily basis.”
Parkinson’s UK are setting up a user panel who will test and evaluate these new digital tools.
Julie Dodd, director of digital transformation and communication at Parkinson’s UK said: “We believe that technology is a vital part of helping people with the condition live empowered lives.
“Over the last year we’ve seen enquiries about apps and devices increase significantly. People turn to us for guidance on the apps and devices that work best, but until now we’ve been unable to recommend specific interventions with complete confidence.
“Not only will all the apps and devices in our library have been rigorously quality checked by Our Mobile Health, but our user panel will provide real-life feedback and guidance for other users.”
Emma Lawton, devices and apps strategist at Parkinson’s UK, witnessed for herself how powerful technology can be when last year she was featured in the BBC2 Documentary ‘Big Life Fix’ where an inventor from Microsoft created a bespoke wearable device, the ‘Emma Watch’, which helped her to write and draw clearly again.
Lawton said: “With very little advancement in treatments for Parkinson’s over the last 50 years, those of us with the condition are increasingly looking to technology to step up and help us manage our symptoms.”
Our Mobile Health are actively looking for app or device developers to submit their products for assessment for this ground-breaking initiative.
Organisations or developers who have an app or device that could help support people with Parkinson’s can find out more by contacting Our Mobile Health via [email protected].
Anyone with Parkinson’s of any age in any area of the UK can apply to be part of the user panel.