How to introduce apps into a clinical pathway

Healthcare professionals provide patients with information to support their understanding, informed choices and management of their condition. However, traditional information channels such as patient leaflets have not fared well in research studies, and many clinicians are now looking to apps as a solution.

There is a clear appetite for healthcare apps, with the market expected to grow to a predicted value of more than $41bn by 2021. With hundreds of thousands of health apps available on App Stores, patients are choosing which apps to download without any guidance, and healthcare professionals have been uncertain about which ones to trust or recommend.

Dr Tamsin Brown, community paediatrician, clinical entrepreneur and ORCHA Paediatrics Specialist Lead, explores this demand in depth and discusses potential solutions, examining the following questions in her latest article:

• Why consider adding apps to a clinical pathway?
• What are the barriers to change?
• Which pitfalls should you watch out for?

The images below are taken from the latest British Association for Community Child Health (BACCH) newsletter.