UK Health Service embraces smartphone apps

The UK government has outlined new healthcare technology plans that will see National Health Service (NHS) doctors directing patients to free or cheap smartphone apps to help monitor health conditions. A recent competition launched by the UK Department of Health has identified a number of existing apps that are already proving useful to patients, while suggesting various apps that could be beneficial in future. Popular current apps include Patients Know Best, which lets users review their own records and make choices about their own care, while the Diabetes App offers reminders on blood sugar levels and treatment schedules. Meanwhile, suggestions put forward by patients called for apps to find NHS services on a map and software to offer practical guidance on general or specific conditions such as high blood pressure and post-traumatic stress.