CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – An app launched by the Medical University of South Carolina for kids and adolescents with a uncommon illness helps doctors understand this illness.
The app helps kids and teens monitor their sickle cell illness and helps doctors have a greater understanding of their pain, and helps them maintain observe of pain in sufferers.
College of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Shannon Phillips stated the app, called “Voice Crisis Alert,” permits children up to age 17 to construct self-management conduct and abilities outdoors of a scientific setting.
Phillips mentioned the app has been years in the making and tells me it provides instruments that folks with sickle cell illness can use to assist them handle their condition at home
MUSC says the app is customized. It features a patient’s sickle-cell-related health history: their type of sickle cell disease, their blood sort, white blood depend, medicines and doses. The app additionally reminds them to take their medicines.
Dr. Phillips says there are additionally fun features like customizable avatars.
According to MUSC, the app options an “I’m in Pain” button which allows users to say the place on their physique they’re in pain- in addition to the severity of the pain. Dr. Phillips says the app shops ache history- which helps researchers try to uncover behaviors which may be indicators for ache.
Phillips mentioned mother and father who supplied feedback mentioned their youngsters have been more open to monitoring their pain on an app than talking about it in particular person which means dad and mom have a better understanding of their child’s ache.
“One thing that got here out of those interviews regularly was that the parents had been capable of higher pinpoint the place and when their children had been having ache,” said Dr. Phillips. “So with out the app, they could not at all times know that their youngster was experiencing more ache however the app let them know that on a extra common and constant basis.”
MUSC presently has 105 app customers and the subsequent part will increase to 4 hospitals to broaden sickle cell analysis.
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