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Health apps tune into the personalized medicine initiative

Health apps, along with wearable technology, represent fast changing innovations in relation to digital health. With this, as Digital Journal reported earlier, research from consultancy company PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) indicates that health related apps are among the fastest growing mobile platform applications. This shift to digital signals the growing fusion between traditional ways of accessing health related information and digital culture. In addition, companies like Google are investing heavily in this segment of the health market.

Health apps provide information about prescription drugs; checking weight; measuring vital health signs and so on. Some health apps on the market are better than others, with some linking to incorrect information. A further weakness with health apps is that they tend to link to the same information, irrespective of the individuality of the patient. This means someone typing in ‘diabetes’ will receive the same piece of information.

HealthTap has moved beyond this and is offering patient-centric information. The app was already ahead of most of the other health apps in that it curates health tips provided by 141 medical professionals.

With the new development, HealthTap has introduced a smart search function. This means health information that is personalized. The proprietary automated customization creates a personal user profile. Information about a person’s age, gender, comorbidities, pregnancy status and other relevant indicators means that the health information provided is more applicable to the individual.

This avoids two people, with different health profiles, from receiving the same information from a health-related query. This means, based on information sent to Digital Journal, “a 65-year-old overweight, diabetic Caucasian man with a heart condition should receive a very different answer to the question “What are the implications of diabetes” than a 26-year-old healthy pregnant Asian female athlete.”

The development of the app fits in with the drive in medicine towards personalized medicines and a shift away from ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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