MYHEALTHAPPS Mobile Health Monitoring

In November 2013 Janssen supported the launch of the new international website www.MYHEALTHAPPS.NET. This website is developed to help patients and public finding relevant health care apps for smartphones that best suit their needs in keeping as healthy and fit as possible.

Everyone—whether healthy or living with a disability or a chronic disease—faces different, complex daily challenges in trying to be as fit and healthy as possible. To be healthy some of us need to change lifestyle, alter living circumstances, or even switch jobs. Some of us may have to take lots of pills at different times of the day or monitor our symptoms (in case a medical situation worsens), or seek the help of carers, friends and family. People with some illnesses have to cope with stigma and discrimination from society. Surprisingly few individuals, however, receive the continuous support they need to help them tackle these complex challenges. The healthcare systems of most countries lack the time or resources to consider the public’s diverse self-care needs. This is why health apps are one of the most important technological tools to promote ‘self-care’ and prevention of disease.

The website has a unique rating system for evaluating the quality of the apps. It offers key insights to patients and public and aims to increase the transparency and trustworthiness of health care apps.

MYHEALTHAPPS.NET is an initiative from PatientView, a UK-based research, publishing and consultancy group. Janssen is one of the private contributors to the development of this project, which received also support and encouragement from the European Commission’s DG CONNECT (Communications Networks, Content and Technology) and NHS England (Library of Health Apps).