Most of the public want digital health apps to be used in the NHS

Sixty-eight percent of people agree that digital health apps should be used within the NHS, according to the third annual survey of public attitudes on health apps in the UK by the Organization for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA).

In line with this, 60% more GPs have recommended digital health apps to their patients this year than last year. It was revealed that GPs in London recommend more health apps than those in any other region.

Furthermore, nearly half (47%) of all those surveyed said they were already using a health app.

But while digital technology is being widely adopted by both the medical profession and patients, the survey also revealed some worrying statistics.

Of those who chose a health app for themselves, 0% checked its clinical credentials before using it. Also, only 28% carefully considered an app’s privacy policy before agreeing to it.

Instead, 30% of them checked consumer reviews on the App Store, believing they would find adequate protection.

Dr Simon Leigh, director of research at Orcha, said: “It’s the equivalent of buying a random box of pills without MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) approval and swallowing a handful of them hoping for the best.

“We have proven through academic studies that good consumer reviews are not a safe indicator of app quality.

“In fact, as a rule, the more starred the consumer reviews, the less compliant the apps are in terms of required standards and accreditation. Consumers are placing too much trust in genuine comments from others.”

think safe

To help ensure that consumers are able to safely choose digital apps to support their health and wellbeing, ORCHA is launching a consumer campaign. The campaign will give them a simple memory jog before downloading the app.

The Think Safe campaign helps by reminding the public of the following guidelines before downloading the app:

Secure – How secure is the app and does it have a clear privacy policy

Ask – Have I asked a healthcare professional about alternatives to this app?

Find – Where do I find this app?

Evidence – whether the app displays clear evidence that it was developed by someone with medical expertise.

Liz Ashol-Payne, Founding CEO of ORCHA, said: “We are very pleased to see this impressive increase in the number of GPs making referrals.

“But we cannot ignore the fact that the public needs some guidance on how to make good choices for themselves. There are some fantastic digital tools available now, but all the products we use need to be tested just like drugs.

In March this year, ORCHA created the country’s first digital health formulary, allowing healthcare professionals to securely write more complex apps for their patients. The single source solution can be integrated into existing patient record systems thereby simplifying the process.