With the rise in popularity of smartphones developers have begun creating applications focused on health and medicine. There are now thousands of Apps out there, but which are worth downloading? In today’s blog post we are going to look at some free iPhone and Android apps we believe are worthwhile. Know of a great healthcare app that we don’t have listed? Let us know in the comments!
My Diabetes Home has a great app for keeping track of your blood sugar. The mySugars app is simple, just post your blood glucose levels to the app each time you check them. This makes it easy to keep track of your blood sugar, and also to share the information with your doctor. Available for iPhone and Android.
The Center for Disease Control has released a number of Apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows phone. In addition to a triage app, Influenza app, and “Solve the Outbreak” app they have a great mobile app for finding health information. The CDC Mobile app connects you with articles, tips, videos, journals, and more useful information. You can connect the app to your social media account as well, to share tips and articles that might interest your friends. Available for iPhone, Android, and Windows phone.
National Library of Medicine Health Hotlines
The Health Hotlines app from the National Library of medicine is a very simple app containing over 9,000 organizations’ toll-free numbers. There are AIDS, Cancer, and other disease based organizations listed, state-run programs, as well as substance abuse and mental health contact information. Available on iPhone only.
We have mentioned many times on the NeedyMeds blog that smoking is a serious health risk for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes among many other diseases. The National Cancer Institute has released the QuitPal app to help smokers overcome their addiction. Users can log when they smoke, set-up a calendar with a quit date to work towards, track their money saved by not buying cigarettes, and more. Like the CDC Mobile app the NCI QuitPal app can be connected to your social media accounts as well to keep your friends updated on your progress in quitting. Available on iPhone only.
SOS American Red Cross Emergency App
The S.O.S. Emergency app from the American Red Cross is a potential life-saver. It provides detailed instructions on how to handle different dangerous situations. From downed wires to a a person not breathing, the app provides you with a step-by-step guide to saving the day. It also provides you with numbers to call to assist with any type of emergency. If the emergency is beyond your ability to control, there is an emergency call option that uses your phones location to contact your local emergency services. Available for Android only.
