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Health Apps and Your Family

The worlds of technology and family healthcare are now fused thanks to the creation of digital health records within private health apps. Not only do these digital records save families time and money, they also minimise medical errors and empower parents and carers by making health information readily available. eHealth is now a feature of healthcare, and with private Health apps leading the charge, managing your family’s health has never been easier.

Health Apps make family healthcare easier for separated families

Co-parenting and separated families are increasingly common, making children’s health harder to manage across multiple households. Great health apps store digital health records for your family, allowing you to create sub accounts for your children under the one account.

Instead of relying on memory recall and carrying around heavy folders full of old referrals and medical notes, both parents can access their children’s information easily via their health app, making a quick visit to the doctor, or in worse cases, an emergency medical situation, much more streamlined for both medical staff and parents.

In-app medication information prevents errors

Did you know 3% of hospital admissions are caused by medication errors each year? Whether a patient has misunderstood medication use, or health professionals haven’t documented or discussed medication prescription accurately, medication errors are all too common.

Health apps offering digital health records help minimise the risk of medication errors and misunderstandings as patients, carers and healthcare providers all access the same information in the same place.

Example of chronic disease management with health apps: Asthma

Asthma management is a great example of the power of digital health records via health apps. Many patients with asthma require updates to their treatment regimes, but with so many inhaler types available, it can be hard for a patient to keep track of what they’re taking. A digital health record allows clinicians and patients to access a patient’s prescription and dispensing history, as well as spirometry test results to keep medication up-to-date, prevent asthmatic episodes, and enhance patient adherence to their treatment plan.

Up-to-date disease and allergy histories via health apps prevent medical errors

Allergic reactions are rapid and often medically urgent, such as asthma attacks and anaphylactic reactions. By storing your entire family’s medical history with clear subsections for each family member, medical professionals can easily access information about family allergies as well as individual chronic diseases to help diagnose and manage acute reactions. This information also prevents the prescription of medications that could cause allergic reactions to your family members too.

Digital health records make it easier for parents to juggle multiple sick family members

If you’re a busy parent and your partner recently hurt their knee in soccer and can’t walk, your son has a cold and your daughter has a temperature, you probably feel overwhelmed and unsure what to do.

With a digital health record and the availability of online referrals and prescriptions, you can conduct online consultations with doctors and receive referrals without leaving the house.

Your partner can get a referral for an MRI, your son can get a prescription for children’s cold medicine, and you can double check what to do for your daughter with your pediatrician all via tele-consults. The treatment plan for each of your family members can then be stored in your digital health app, saving you from having to write down and remember all the details. You can then access these details when ordering prescriptions or booking a specialist appointment, without needing further emails or paperwork from your doctor.

Health apps empower you to make better decisions about family healthcare

Gone are the days of being left stupefied by medical jargon after a visit to a doctor or allied health professional. Health apps have bridged the gap between health professionals and patients, giving you direct access to your family’s test results, history and medical details during and after appointments.

This access helps you:

  • Recall what a doctor said and why
  • Understand your treatment plan or your children’s treatment plan
  • Avoid mistakes around medications and dosage
  • Minimise overwhelm when managing your family’s well-being
  • View the health records of everyone in your family in the event of an emergency

If you’re a busy parent, you probably don’t have the time or memory capacity to remember each child’s full medical history and medication details, let alone your own. Using eHealth apps makes it easier for you to supply healthcare professionals with the most accurate information, allowing them to give your little ones the best care possible.

Modern technology is changing the way patients interact with healthcare professionals, and digital health apps are leading the charge. By providing unprecedented access to your family’s medical information, digital health records within health apps are transforming the quality and accessibility of family healthcare.