9 Great HealthCare Phone Apps

In the age of Androids, Bionics, and iPhones and the ever increasing availability of information, I decided to clean out my iPhone app graveyard and get rid of all the unused apps (apps = applications you can download to your phone for free or a minimal fee) that I no longer use. So I said goodbye to TapZoo, Zombie Me, and Pocket God, while other apps I got rid of shall remain nameless.  I started asking my colleagues what apps they had on their smartphones (yes even those iHaters) because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

In the age of Androids, Bionics, and iPhones and the ever increasing availability of information, I decided to clean out my iPhone app graveyard and get rid of all the unused apps (apps = applications you can download to your phone for free or a minimal fee) that I no longer use. So I said goodbye to TapZoo, Zombie Me, and Pocket God, while other apps I got rid of shall remain nameless.  I started asking my colleagues what apps they had on their smartphones (yes even those iHaters) because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Here is a list and description of what I have on my phone (warning – iPhonecentric) that are related to health, emergency preparedness, and disasters.  Please share your thoughts with me – I am sure I missed a few good ones out there:

1. BioAgent Facts by Center for Biosecurity of University of Pittsburgh Medical
   Center
   BioAgent Facts gives you facts about pathogens (Anthrax for one which came in handy for my upcoming presentation) that could cause serious disease resulting from a natural epidemic or use as a biological weapon.
2. LIFE360 Family Locator by Life360
   LIFE360 turns your phone into a safety device and lets you know:
   -Where your family members are located
   -What safety points and threats are nearby
   -When your loved ones are safe or need helpLife360 is also the only tracking application that is also compatible with regular phones, so you can locate family members who don’t have smartphones.
3.  SF Heroes by By CosmiCube Inc.
   I spend most of my time writing plans and procedures but occasionally I like to play the hero myself.  Basically this app has you successfully complete tasks in the real world and you earn some badges. Empower yourself to be a real-life hero in your community by learning how to prepare and protect yourself and your family in the event of an emergency. SF Heroes provides a wealth of information and resources to help you build your emergency preparedness knowledge get involved with your community, and access services and information to help survive an emergency.
    
4.  iMapWeather Radio By Weather Decision Technologies, Inc.
   With iMapWeather Radio you receive critical voice and text alerts on life-threatening weather events. Your iPhone will “wake up” and also “follow you” with alerts wherever you go. Listen with ease to local weather forecasts while you are on the move. Now if it would only fix me a snack when I need one.
5. Disaster Readiness By phoneflips
   Disaster Readiness has incorporated the NEWish Homeland Security Advisory SystemThis must-have app will help you and loved ones rebound from almost any DISASTER, anywhere, quickly and safely.  Topics cover everything you’d expect from a Disaster Readiness guide (e-Book) and includes sections on how to make your own Disaster Supplies Kit, how to re-charge your phone when there is no electricity, how to purify water, and even where to get pills to protect yourself from nuclear radiation!Googling won’t be possible. By having this content local on your phone means it will be available whenever and wherever you need it.
6. Sickweather  by Sickweather LLC
   
   Sickweather while not yet on my iPhone is an app that plans to track illnesses that occur within a user’s circle of friends to help them stay well by avoiding contact with the infected. Sickweather taps into social networks like Twitter and Facebook to detect the presence of sick friends. The free service hopes to use an ad-supported business model to generate revenue.  The site uses Twitter’s API to identify a user’s particular location, but the startup’s algorithm looks for keywords related to sickness such as “bronchitis,” pneumonia,” and “pertussis” and uses public information sources  to see contagious illness affecting a certain area.   You bet I am on the Beta Testing list!!!
7. Walgreens By Walgreen Co. 

   This push/pull app allows you to scan in your prescription refills.  Okay for a family who is all on either allergy meds and other ailments, this is a great timesaver.  Plus it reminds you when you are due refills.
    

8. Hands-Only CPR By Jive Media LLC 

   Sure I took CPR classes years ago but I can barely remember what I ate for lunch yesterday let alone the exact time to wait between CPR hand pumps.  So this is a great refresher – especially if you find yourself in the position of saving someone’s life.

9. WebMD By WebMD 

   WebMD helps you with your decision-making and health improvement efforts by providing mobile access 24/7 to mobile-optimized health information and decision-support tools including WebMD’s Symptom Checker, Drugs & Treatments, First Aid Information and Local Health Listings. WebMD also gives you access to first aid information without having to be connected wirelessly – critical if you don’t have Internet access in the time of need. Personalize your app by saving drugs, conditions and articles relevant to you — through secure access and easy sign-in.

For an interesting read on the future of health apps see this article http://www.technewsworld.com/story/72267.html from Tech News World on the Apps with accessories/attachments to your mobile device.

Where applicable I pulled App descriptions from iTunes.