23 Mar 2011
EACH time actor-compere Randall Tan feels a shot of intense pain in his knuckles, he records what he feels on his smartphone.
He not only makes a note of when it happens, but also keys in the effects he feels after taking his medication.
For the past two months, Tan, 37, has been using an application installed on his iPhone to track the symptoms of the rheumatoid arthritis he is suffering from.
The app has helped him to manage the condition – characterised by inflammation and swelling of the joints – he was diagnosed with seven years ago.
The app, the first of a slew of health-diary smartphone applications, was launched yesterday by SingHealth and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for sufferers of chronic conditions.
It was developed by Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Health that manages information technology for the public health-care sector.
At yesterday’s launch in SGH, Tan said he wished the app was developed sooner.
“Previously, when my doctor asked, ‘How’re things?’, I knew I had a flare-up (at some point in time) but, being human, I would forget when,” he said.
By recording each flare-up with the app, he is now able to accurately recount episodes of pain and inflammation to doctors and get the right kind of help.
The smartphone app is designed to help patients track details such as the effects of medication and the pain experienced in between visits to the doctor.
The information helps patients identify the progress of the disease.
Associate Professor Julian Thumboo, head of SGH’s department of rheumatology and immunology, said: “With the health-diary application, patients and their caregivers are able to track pain and functional levels in a systematic and research-validated manner, even between their appointments with the doctor.”
Some 45,000 people in Singapore are estimated to be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
The IT team behind the app reveals that more such applications are in the pipeline for other chronic ailments, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
When asked why apps are being used, SingHealth’s group chief information officer, Mr Benedict Tan, said: “Singaporeans are becoming increasingly connected and there is an increasing trend towards the adoption of smartphones.”
Dr Chong Yoke Sin, chief executive of IHiS, said: “In tele-health, we leverage on technology, laptops, PCs and smartphones.
“What you see now is perhaps the start of a whole new space of tele-health applications. So, just watch out for this space.”
The smartphone health-diary app for rheumatoid arthritis is available for free at https://mobilecare.sgh.com.sg
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