Recently a Modern Health Care article http://www.modernhealthcare.com * noted:”Industry website iMedicalApps has uncovered a medical app with a tenuous relationship to accuracy: One that purports to use the iPhone’s camera lens to reveal a patient’s blood pressure. Big deal, you might say—the App Store is full of dubious treatments in app form.”
“But this app, priced at $3.99, is one of the top 10 paid apps in Apple’s App store. And, judging by the reviews for the app, people are using it instead of blood pressure cuffs to manage their hypertension.”
“The app has text claiming that it is not a medical device and is for entertainment purposes only. Last year, an app performing urinalysis tried the same thing—and received an FDA letter all the same. An app can’t simply will itself out of FDA regulations.”
“ The question is, how will the healthcare system ensure that bad apps don’t drive out the good ones?”
* to read the full MHC article “A dubious healthcare app raises FDA regulatory questions” by Darius Tahir, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140716/BLOG/307169995?AllowView=VDl3UXk1TytDL0tCa0IvREE0M3hlMFNvaVVVZEErTT0=&utm_source=link-20140716-BLOG-307169995&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=top
Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ provides information to consumers on understanding, managing and navigating health care options.
Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration
This blog shares general information about understanding and navigating the health care system. For specific medical advice about your own problems, issues and options talk to your personal physician.