Post by Willow on May 26, 2013 10:39:34 GMT 9.5
Australian Medical Association call to vet healthcare apps
BY:CHRIS GRIFFITH From: The Australian May 21, 2013 12:00AM
HEALTH apps that offer medical advice, remedies and doses should be vetted so they do not endanger lives or give biased or misleading information, the Australian Medical Association said yesterday.
AMA president Steve Hambleton said the people who approved apps (at Apple and Google) should be part of the responsibility chain and it would be good to have medical expertise on the approval bodies.
"I think that wouldn't fit their business model, to be frank," he said.
However, there was an opening for an "aggregator" to endorse apps considered medically safe.
"The process for endorsement is to say that 'Yes, a trusted entity has reviewed this app or site and has given it a tick'. I think that would make a lot of people more comfortable," he said.
"There's lots of people out there trying to self-educate and a simple Google search is not really going to give you the quality sites at the top of the list. They're going to give you the most popular."
Dr Hambleton's comments come as Britain's National Health Service turns its attention to health-related apps amid concerns that they be clinically safe and protect patient privacy.
More than 60,000 such apps are available, according to medical technology innovator Rock Health. Research firm Juniper estimates the market is worth about $225 million and expects it to grow to almost $920m by 2016.
Britain's 67-year-old state healthcare provider is taking a closer look at the burgeoning market and screening apps. In March, it launched NHS Choices Health Apps Library, a website aimed at patients and healthcare professionals that features apps approved by the NHS.
About 90 free and paid apps are outlined on the site, with basic information and user reviews, and developers can submit their apps for approval. The NHS website links to stores such as Apple iTunes and Google Play for downloads.
An NHS clinical assurance team made up of doctors, nurses and safety specialists works with developers to make sure apps adhere to safety standards before they are featured on the website.
In Australia, the situation is complex, the Therapeutic Goods Administration regulating diagnostic or therapeutic devices such as glucose meters, electro stimulatory technologies and peak flow meters for asthmatics.
Apps that aim to provide diagnostic capability also need approval, but industry sources say the regulation of this for consumer-oriented smartphone apps was unclear. Regulation also does not extend to general "wellness" devices such as pedometers and health-related apps.
Technology group uHealth co-founder Will Knox said the situation was confusing for developers.
"Our view is that any stand-alone app that is diagnosing or treating a condition needs TGA approval," Mr Knox said.
Dr Hambleton said universities, publishers of the Medical Journal of Australia, peak medical bodies such as the National Heart Foundation, Cancer Council Australia and the Australian Diabetes Council, major medical providers, the Royal Australian College of GPs, and the AMA could take part in the endorsement process.
The TGA said it could regulate apps where they related to the advertising of therapeutic goods or the content of medicine and device product information.
"Currently, most mobile phone apps are a source of information. The TGA does not have a role in regulating health advice to health professionals or consumers other than when it relates to the advertising of therapeutic goods or the content of medicine and device product information," a spokeswoman said.
BY:CHRIS GRIFFITH From: The Australian May 21, 2013 12:00AM
HEALTH apps that offer medical advice, remedies and doses should be vetted so they do not endanger lives or give biased or misleading information, the Australian Medical Association said yesterday.
AMA president Steve Hambleton said the people who approved apps (at Apple and Google) should be part of the responsibility chain and it would be good to have medical expertise on the approval bodies.
"I think that wouldn't fit their business model, to be frank," he said.
However, there was an opening for an "aggregator" to endorse apps considered medically safe.
"The process for endorsement is to say that 'Yes, a trusted entity has reviewed this app or site and has given it a tick'. I think that would make a lot of people more comfortable," he said.
"There's lots of people out there trying to self-educate and a simple Google search is not really going to give you the quality sites at the top of the list. They're going to give you the most popular."
Dr Hambleton's comments come as Britain's National Health Service turns its attention to health-related apps amid concerns that they be clinically safe and protect patient privacy.
More than 60,000 such apps are available, according to medical technology innovator Rock Health. Research firm Juniper estimates the market is worth about $225 million and expects it to grow to almost $920m by 2016.
Britain's 67-year-old state healthcare provider is taking a closer look at the burgeoning market and screening apps. In March, it launched NHS Choices Health Apps Library, a website aimed at patients and healthcare professionals that features apps approved by the NHS.
About 90 free and paid apps are outlined on the site, with basic information and user reviews, and developers can submit their apps for approval. The NHS website links to stores such as Apple iTunes and Google Play for downloads.
An NHS clinical assurance team made up of doctors, nurses and safety specialists works with developers to make sure apps adhere to safety standards before they are featured on the website.
In Australia, the situation is complex, the Therapeutic Goods Administration regulating diagnostic or therapeutic devices such as glucose meters, electro stimulatory technologies and peak flow meters for asthmatics.
Apps that aim to provide diagnostic capability also need approval, but industry sources say the regulation of this for consumer-oriented smartphone apps was unclear. Regulation also does not extend to general "wellness" devices such as pedometers and health-related apps.
Technology group uHealth co-founder Will Knox said the situation was confusing for developers.
"Our view is that any stand-alone app that is diagnosing or treating a condition needs TGA approval," Mr Knox said.
Dr Hambleton said universities, publishers of the Medical Journal of Australia, peak medical bodies such as the National Heart Foundation, Cancer Council Australia and the Australian Diabetes Council, major medical providers, the Royal Australian College of GPs, and the AMA could take part in the endorsement process.
The TGA said it could regulate apps where they related to the advertising of therapeutic goods or the content of medicine and device product information.
"Currently, most mobile phone apps are a source of information. The TGA does not have a role in regulating health advice to health professionals or consumers other than when it relates to the advertising of therapeutic goods or the content of medicine and device product information," a spokeswoman said.