• In your peer responses, discuss potential drawbacks to utilizing telehealth. What types of technologies do you think would appeal to different groups of patients, such as teens, the elderly, or rural dwellers, for example?

I am not sure why the peer response is suppose to be about telehealth instead of responding to the apps that people used but below I will give two students and just as long as you answer her questions above I will be okay. One paragraph only if you can sum it up in just a few sentences.

STUDENT ONE:

• In your initial post, identify two (2) healthcare apps. Review each app and take a position on its potential to improve patient outcomes. Provide rationales for your positions.

Two healthcare apps that I believe to be very useful are: Insight Optics and Medici. Insight Optics was created to allow PCPs to include vision exams in the yearly physicals they perform on the patients. Because not all patients have vision insurance or access to a eye doctor. The way the app works is that the Physician utilizes a ophthalmoscope compatible with his smartphone camera and captures images of the patients retinas and then forwards the images to an ophthalmologist , who would then inform the PCP if the patient needs to see an eye specialist. I believe this app has great potential to improve patient outcomes because, many people lose their eyesight every year because of not receiving specialized eye care. The other app is Medici it has an app for physicians and one for patients. This app allows patients to connect with the physicians and send texts and pictures to describe their illnesses. The physician then determines if the patient needs to be seen in office or can simply have a prescription called to the pharmacy. I believe this app has great potential to improve patient outcomes because it save money, time, and it is utilized in a HIPPA-compliant online space.

Student Two:

One FDA-cleared healthcare app is KardiaMobile (AliveCor, n.d.). KardiaMobile allows the user to take cardiac measurements easily by having the user pressing the smartphone against skin near the heart. This app can detect irregular heart rhythms early, which can help alert users know if they should be concerned. The app also allows users to share data with their doctors so that if it detects irregular heart rhythms, the user’s doctors can be alerted. The app works with the Apple Watch to detect if there is a correlation between heart rate ranges, activity levels, and other factors. If the heart rate appears inconsistent with the activity level from the watch, a notification will be sent to record an EKG (AliveCor, n.d.). I think this app greatly improves patient outcomes. Patients can easily share information with their doctors and will be aware of when they should be concerned with an irregular heart rate. KardiaMobile has overall great reviews and is recommended by doctors and the FDA. The app is easy to use and understand, so is very user-friendly, therefore making it open to patients of all ages and technology skill levels.

The Diabetes Manager, created by WellDoc, is another FDA-cleared healthcare that is targeted at patients with diabetes (WellDoc, n.d.). The app assists the user with managing their diabetes. The app captures blood-glucose information and transmits it. Additionally, the data input is analyzed, and the app offers a personalized coach to help patients manage their medication and treatment (WellDoc, n.d.). I think this app does a great job improving patient outcomes for patients with diabetes. Diabetes can be difficult to manage, so giving diabetics an easy way to keep track of their health information greatly benefits them. I think that the app offering a personalized coach is a great tool. Diabetic patients might not always like being told what to do by their doctors, so having a nonjudgmental coach on an app might encourage them to do what they need to do better manage diabetes. Additionally, the personalized coach is available to the user 24/7, so the user can benefit from it at any time.