The Merlin.net network is a remote monitoring system for patients with implantable cardiac devices. It is able to record a patient’s heart rhythms, device therapy and device performance which is automatically sent to a designated clinic or a hospital’s health record.

Created by St. Jude Medical, which is a manuafaturer of medical devices worldwide, the Merlin.net Patient Care Network (PCN)  has been upgraded to version 5.0 which comes with some important enhancements for those living in the UK.

Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, St. Jude Medical has four major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular and neuromodulation. The Merlin.net network is an example of how St. Jude Medical adheres to its overall objectives.

One of the newest features of version 5.0 is the ability to create a connection from the Merlin.net PCN directly to the clinic or hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) system.  Called Auto EHRDirect Export, this new feature allows for automatically recording of relevant patient information and uses secure industry standards for the tranfer of the data. This means that the data is fully encrypted and thus cannot be viewed by unauthorized people.

While physicians are able to access patient information from the secure Merlin.net website, version 5.0, integrates a new feature called Mobile DirectAlerts which allows alerts to be sent  automatically to a physician’s mobile device when a patient has an alert-triggering event. This increases the speed at which a physician can access patient information even when the physician is out of the office. This allows for a faster response time to potential clinical issues.

Additionally, with the new Mobile DirectAlert feature, it is no longer necessary for a doctor to login to a computer to find and access patient records following an alert since the information can be accessed via a secure connection and a smartphone. The notifications are compatible with multiple mobile devices, including the iOS devices, Android phones as well as Blackberry.  No word on whether Windows Phones are supported.

Dr. Francis D Murgatroyd, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at King’s College Hospital in London concurs.

“This mobile device technology allows physicians like me to access relevant patient information in a quick, timely and secure manner. This can include contact details, alert triggers and electrocardiograms. This is a great example of how innovative thinking combined with existing telecommunications technology can help the physician stay close to the patient when this is most needed.”

Telehealth and remote monitoring technologies have the potential to improve the lives of many. It can reduce the amount of time patients have to physically see a doctor, reduce the number of emergency hospital admissions and even shorten the amount of days a patient has to stay in a hospital. Because of this, the upgraded Merlin.net network has the potential to impact many lives.

Paul Turner, vice president of UK, Ireland, Canada Middle East and South Africa for St. Jude Medical explains,

“We designed the Merlin.net PCN updates to make patient and device data as accessible and convenient as possible for physicians managing patients with complex cardiac conditions such as heart failure. Findings in the recent DH study indicate that more than three million people in the UK can benefit from telehealth. We are very pleased to play our part in offering our own remote care solution, and delivering our patient-benefitting technologies throughout the UK.”

Source: Press Release

CareView Communications, Inc., an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, just recently announced the completion of SitterView, an innovative application that employs mobile technology to enable healthcare providers to better utilize patient sitters, improve patient safety, and reduce sitter costs.  SitterView allows a single sitter the ability to monitor multiple patients and utilize the safety features of CareView’s NurseView and Virtual Bed Rails applications.

The SitterView application of the CareView System focuses on utilizing sitters more effectively, allowing the CareView Virtual Bed Rails application to be monitored at the nursing station and on SitterView smart pads while simultaneously reducing overall sitter costs, helping the hospital create a safer environment and reducing patient falls.  The CareView philosophy is to offer services to hospitals and its patients that not only improve the quality and safety of care, but also reduces the cost of that care.

press release | www.care-view.com

mHealth Research Digest with Tim Bredrup

Pedometers and internet based programs have proven to be beneficial for increasing activity levels in obese and overweight individuals.

To improve upon this concept, researchers in Boston performed a study to see if the addition of a virtual coach would be even more effective than the use of a pedometer and website alone.

A total of 70 participants were recruited from the Boston metropolitan area and assigned to one of two study groups. One group was asked to wear a pedometer and track their step count online.

The other group was asked to do the same, but also met with an online virtual coach that set goals and provided personalized feedback. The virtual coach was computer animated and run from software installed on theresearch participant’s home computer. The statements of the virtual coach were evidence based and developed by an interdisciplinary team using physicians, computer scientists, and exercise trainers.

The average age of the participants was 42 and the majority were female (84%), white (76%), and college educated (97%).  Out of the 70 who participated, 62 completed the study.  Those who worked with the virtual coach maintained their step counts, while the activity level declined in those who did not.

According to the researchers

The percentage change in step count…from the start to the end, did not reach the threshold for significance.  However, repeated measures analysis showed a significant difference when comparing percentage changes in step counts between control and intervention participants over all time points.

There was no significant difference in weight loss among both groups.

The study showed those who worked with the virtual coach were able to maintain their levels of activity. However, there was a decline of activity in those who only used the pedometer and web-based feedback alone.  It has been suggested that further studies should examine the long-term benefits of virtual coaching and how this concept can be applied in other mediums.

Authors: Alice Watson, MBChB, MRCP, MPH; Timothy Bickmore, PhD; Abby Cange, BS; Ambar Kulshreshtha. MD, MPH; Joseph Kvedar, MD

Institutions: Center for Connected Health, Partners HealthCare, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA.

Original Abstract: Journal of Medical Internet Research

By Tim Bredrup

Health Discovery Corporation, the molecular diagnostics company that launched MelApp, the first SVM-based image analysis iPhone app for melanoma risk assessment, recently debuted its popular MelApp mobile app for Android devices.  Now, health-conscious consumers can easily learn about melanoma and identify areas on their skin which may need attention from a specialist, anytime, anywhere with their iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, as well as Android smartphone.

MelApp uses highly sophisticated patent protected mathematical algorithms and image based pattern recognition technology to analyze the uploaded image.  MelApp was validated using an image database licensed from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center and uses a device’s camera feature to deliver a risk analysis of user’s photographed skin lesions within seconds.  The app can also use the iPhone GPS to refer users to physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma for proper medical follow-up.

press release | www.healthdiscoverycorp.com

The iPads large screen and interactive interface make it an ideal platform for medical imaging.

NeuroRad by RadLynx LLC is a clinical neuroradiology reference designed for a range of healthcare professionals involved in neurological imaging of the brain.

Written and designed by an American Board of Radiology certified Neuroradiologist, NeuroRad aims to improve understanding of neurological imaging and associated pathologies.

We have previously reviewed the NeuroRad Mini for the iPhone, and this is the iPad counterpart.

The main feature of this app is the interactive imaging atlases. This is split into a number of sections; Cross Sectional MRI Anatomy, Vascular territories, MR Angiography (both arterial and venous) and CT Angiography.

All three views (Saggital, Coronal and Axial) are accessible complete with labels. Navigation through the different parts is innovative and involves pinch-to-zoom multitouch gestures which scroll through the different anatomical slices. The images are high resolution and clearly labelled. Unfortunately, there was no way to turn off the labels in this section in order to test oneself.

The Vascular territory atlas covers both arterial and venous supply and is an excellent resource navigated in a similar fashion to the cross sectional atlas. A clear key illustrates the different areas of the brain supplied by each artery-key for any neurosurgeon. Labels are also included here to develop recognition of key structures

The MR Angiography section covers both the arterial and venous system. Each view has a multitude of labels which consolidates anatomical knowledge. There are also a range of views including ‘Tumble’ and ‘Spin’ which aim to improve 3-dimensional understanding.

The CT angiography also covers the three main views (Saggital, Axial and Coronal) and both arterial and venous systems. It is useful that these images are highlighted so that the path of the vessels can be visualised.

The other major section of NeuroRad for iPad is a detailed weblink and reference section. There are a decent range of weblinks covering a range of aspects related to neuroradiology from MRI images to clinical sites including journals and professional associations. This collection of weblinks (which open in Safari) is a good resource for residents and interns looking for further information.

The reference section contains some excellent information related to pathologies which may be seen on a scan. These are presented as a list of differential diagnoses which are extensive. There is very little pathophysiology explanation although references are provided for the interested resident who is looking for further reading.

Price:

• $9.99 (although currently on sale as new content is added and updated)

Likes:

• Detailed, labelled radiology atlas covering the three main views
• Excellent visualization of the vessels in the brain using both MR and CT Angiography
• Detailed differential diagnoses for a range of abnormalities seen on radiograms
• Collection of weblinks

Dislikes:

• No ability to share information/screenshots via email/social media
• No ability to turn the labels on/off in order to test oneself

Overall Rating:

• NeuroRad for iPad is a fantastic application for radiologist residents with an excellent neuroradiology atlas
• Has a range of uses for healthcare professionals ranging from student to resident
• An all-round excellent application for those interested in neurological imaging

iTunes link

mHealth Research Digest with Tim Bredrup

A variety of body sensor network systems have been proposed to detect health related problems in real time.

However the focus of many of these systems is on the gathering and presentation/storage of data, rather than on autonomous real-time decision making.

A study conducted at Coventry University in the UK focused on the implementation of on-body prediction system for reducing health risks caused by Uncompensable Heat Stress (UHS) such as hyperthermic exhaustion.

It targets the monitoring of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operatives during missions through the gathering of physiological data such as multi-point skin temperature, as well as postural information (multi-point body acceleration).

According to previous research, real-time autonomous processing of skin temperature and body acceleration data are both required for the prediction of heat stress.​​ ​

Data from a total of 26 trials were used to evaluate the accuracy of the UHS prediction system. The study protocol was as follows:

…twelve subjects underwent a mission-like protocol while wearing the EOD suit at 40°C ambient temperature and three different in-suit cooling variations – no cooling, chest cooling, and head cooling. The trials consisted of four identical back-to-back cycles of: walking on a treadmill (3 mins), kneeling while moving weights (2 mins), crawling (2 mins), postural testing (2.5 mins), arm exercise while standing (3 mins), and cognitive tests while sitting (6 mins).

Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, serving just around 9 million patients. It has also been a leader in healthcare innovation through initiatives like the Kaiser Permanente Information Technology’s Innovation & Advanced Technology Group and Laboratory for Innovation.

Kaiser has now released a mobile portal for patients to access their medical records – medication lists, lab results, and more. Interestingly though, they have released a native Android app only. For iOS, Blackberry, and Windows users, there is instead a web-app.

Through either the web-app or Android native app, patients can now access their medical information from virtually anywhere. The app provides full access to patient information that currently resides on the KP health record system and certainly demonstrates the growing movement to empower patients. In addition though, the release of the Android app first may also reveal a surprising shift in the mobile development landscape.

Patients who want to access their medical information on their iPhone are instructed that they can download a shortcut from the kp.org website that will open up the mobile friendly version of the website. From there, they can access all their medical information.

With the new native and web app, KP patients will have 24/7 access to lab results, diagnostic information, direct and secure email access to their doctors, and will also be able to order prescription refills.  In fact, in 2011, more then 68 million lab results were made available through the website to patients.  All this can be accessed through the dedicated Android app and the mobile website.

“With the new offering, Kaiser Permanente patients have 24/7 access from their mobile devices to view their secure personal health record, email their doctors, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions and locate Kaiser Permanente medical facilities. Members who have the ability to act on behalf of a family member on kp.org now can accomplish the same tasks. Those caring for an elderly parent or someone with a chronic condition can now more easily check lab results, refill prescriptions and communicate with the doctor’s office on behalf of the patient.”

George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, explains the release of these new mobile offerings.

“This is the future of healthcare. Healthcare needs to be connected to be all that it can be. This new level of connectivity is happening real time, and it is happening on a larger scale than anything like it in the world. The fact that a Kaiser Permanente patient in an emergency room in Paris or Tokyo can simply pull out their mobile device and have immediate and current access to their own medical information is an evolutionary and revolutionary breakthrough for medical connectivity.”

Interestingly, this is one of the few times we have seen an Android release precede the iOS release. Developers, in the past, have often cited issues with cross-device compatibility, a smaller market, and security issues. In many ways, things have changed – there are now far more Android users than in the past for example. iOS challenges, such as the cumbersome approval process and constrained development parameters, haven’t changed much. With Kaiser releasing this app first on Android, we certainly wonder whether the development environment is changing.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below and in our Forum.

iMedicalApps has launched mHealth (iMedicalApps.com/mhealth), a page dedicated to the use of mobile technologies for direct patient care. This is where you can read about great research being done on the use of mobile technologies for health & wellness, the latest in wireless health devices and about innovative digital health startups.

We will continue to write about mHealth practice and regulatory issues and cover important mHealth conferences, like our comprehensive coverage of the recent mHealth Summit in Washington DC. All  articles are written or edited by physicians.

We have some exciting features coming up, such as:

• an exclusive iMedicalApps sneak peak next week at a new wireless device that will change the way endoscopy is done
• fascinating first hand reports by investigators describing their mHealth research
• reports by physicians using remote and telehealth successfully in the care of their patients
• articles on the rapidly evolving legal issues around mobile health and social media

Drop us a line if you have developed a wireless health device and you want our readers to know about it or are starting a digital health company. We want to hear about it. We also love to hear from physicians using mobile and telehealth in caring for their patients and from researchers investigating mHealth technologies. This is a great place to share your stories.

After you’ve read the articles, Keep the conversation going on the iMedicalApps mHealth Forum. Tell us what you want to see covered or what to change. We welcome all voices – patients, physicians, investors and entrepreneurs.

Finally, we are looking for more great mHealth writers ! If you have a passion for mobile health and want to write for iMedicalApps, please contact us.

Thank you and enjoy.

Felasfa Wodajo, MD

mHealth Editor

iMedicalApps Senior mHealth Analyst Brian Edwards was recently interviewed by Michael Spitzer, VP Engagement Planning at Ignite Health, on the popular site Pharmaphorum “the home of pharma industry debate”.

He was invited as their guest expert discussing how healthcare professionals, patients, and pharma can get the most out of mHealth in 2012 and beyond. This was part 1 of a two part wide ranging interview, where Michael and Brian discussed the rapid adoption of mHealth technologies by clinicians, patient and consumer use of mobile apps and technologies and the role of FDA regulation.

Check it out here: How to get the most out of mhealth: an interview with Brian Edwards (part 1)

It is well recognized that when there is a language barrier between patients and physicians, the quality of care delivered suffers. With the rapid rise of patients for whom Spanish is their primary language, this is becoming an increasingly urgent issue to address.

Ultralingua, Inc. has published the Vox Spanish-English Medical Dictionary and Verbs app ($49.99) to help bridge this gap. The app is available for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Read on to see whether this app can help you take better care of your Spanish-speaking patients.

Features:

The app provides these key features:

• English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English word translations

• Search function

• Verb conjugations

• A number pad that instantaneously spells out the number in the selected language

• The ability to look up any word with a single tap

It is important to note that this app does not provide any sort of instruction or lessons on how to speak Spanish or form sentences.  It provides translation only, with no definitions or meanings of words.  Additionally, it is specifically a medical dictionary, meaning that ordinary, non-medical terms may not be found (in the screenshot below, I tried to search “girl,” with no results.)

Therefore, this app would be most useful to practitioners or students with at least some background in the Spanish language.  As far as medical terms go, however, this dictionary seems to be thorough.  It even includes different bacterial and fungal species.

User Interface:

Overall, the user interface is decent, but takes a little getting used to.  Because it is not completely intuitive, Ultralingua has kindly provided us with an instruction page that briefs the user on how to navigate the app and use the key features, complete with picture demonstrations.  This short guide can be accessed by tapping on the little lightbulb icon in the bottom left-hand corner.

For the most part, even without taking a peek at the user guide, the app is pretty easily navigated after a few minutes of experimentation.  For example, you might think the clock icon at the top will translate times, but it actually displays your search history.

As mentioned earlier, you can tap on any word and be taken to a translation of that word immediately.  The languages will also instantaneously swap.  This is a handy feature, though I wouldn’t have known it existed without reading the user guide.  At times it was also a little hard to tap the words with enough precision that the translation would come up.

Uses in Practice:

This app would be most useful in practice for looking up a few quick terms.  Even fluent Spanish speakers may not know how to translate some obscure disease, especially if they were trained in an English-speaking country.  The search function is fast enough that a doctor could even look up a word in front of a patient.

The conjugation feature is helpful, but would probably be too tedious to use during a patient conversation.  This app helps facilitate and improve physician-patient communication for the conversational physician, but for the practitioner with little to no Spanish knowledge, it will be of limited use.

Price:

• The paper version of the Vox Medical Spanish and English Dictionary sells for $35, vs. the $49.99 for this app.

Likes:

• Thorough dictionary of medical Spanish terms
• Decent UI with short guide to fill in the gaps
• Fast search function
• Provides a medical student or practitioner with a quick reference in their pocket

Dislikes:

• It’s got “granulation” but not “grandmother.” Though not intended to be a comprehensive dictionary, it would have been helpful to include some non-medical words that are commonly used in patient conversation, e.g., family members for taking a family history. This is yet another reason why this app might not be as useful for users who lack a solid background in Spanish
• Does not include audio.  Pronunciation of a different language can be tough, especially with unfamiliar words.  Adding an audio component, where the user can hear a speaker pronounce the word correctly, would be tremendously useful and provide a strong reason for someone to choose the app rather than the paperback dictionary

Overall:

• If you’re at least a decent Spanish speaker who would like to improve the clarity of your conversations with patients, this app is a good reference.
• It’s fast, easy to use, and mobile, and future updates including audio pronunciation and a few select non-medical terms would greatly improve its usefulness.
• If your Spanish proficiency is so limited that you desperately need a translator to begin with, this app is probably not worth the price.

iTunes Link

By Tim Bredrup

PositiveID Corporation, a developer of medical technologies for diabetes management, recently announced it has obtained certification from AT&T for PositiveID’s iglucose™ mobile health system, designed to simplify diabetes management for the millions of individuals impacted by this growing disease. This certification gives PositiveID’s FDA-cleared iglucose system access to the AT&T network, which has the largest global presence of any U.S.-based wireless provider.

iglucose is the first and only pocket sized, FDA cleared, mobile health device specifically designed to transmit blood glucose readings anytime, anywhere. By seamlessly communicating glucose readings from a glucometer to the iglucose diabetes management portal, the data can be shared with family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Sharing can occur via text message, email, fax, or through the iglucose diabetes management portal itself.

press release | www.PositiveIDCorp.com

There are a number of companies attempting to disrupt personal fitness using mobile apps to provide an engaging user experience that motivates and informs. One that definitely stands out is Skimble, which has just recently passed the 2 million download milestone and, impressively, has already achieved profitability as a bootstrapped startup.

Skimble was founded out of the idea that people want advice and motivation to help them meet their fitness goals, and many people would love to be able to hire personal trainers to tell them what exercises will be most effective. Skimble was a member of the original Rock Health class and their success is absolutely no fluke.

I have had the pleasure of interacting with a lot of entrepreneurs in the digital health space and I can say without hesitation that Maria Ly and her team at Skimble are among the best of the best.  Check out our interview with Maria Ly below and see the video of her recent TEDxUW talk.

Skimble is really two different applications that compliment each other, (1) the Skimble Workout Trainer and (2) the Skimble Sports Tracker, both of which are available for free on both Android and iOS. The Skimble Workout Trainer features complete workout regimens for fitness enthusiasts and athletes, with a number of programs available for free and many more available for purchase at a modest fee.

The workouts typically cost between $5 and $15, which the company is hoping will be seen by users as an attractive alternative to the $80+ it can cost to hire a professional personal trainer at a gym. Currently, the app includes thousands of exercise routines and will soon include hundreds of videos to go along with the current instructional audio clips and stop-motion photos. Users can custom design their own workout routines using an easy to navigate database of exercises and complementary audio clips.

The GPS Sports Tracker allows users to automatically track 45 different physical activities and earn points based on the intensity and duration of that activity in a competition with other users. Sports that can be tracked using the app include sky diving, slack lining, climbing, yoga, ping pong, horseback riding and skateboarding.

The company has recently struck a deal with Harvard Medical School to create the “Harvard Health Gym Coach” to create plans designed by Harvard medical professionals, a deal the company hopes to use as a model for future partnerships with similarly distinguished institutions which will be a significant competitive advantage.According to co-founder Mary Ly, formerly a member of the International Product Group at Google, Skimble is both bootstrapped and profitable and has encouraging user metrics, such as 50 percent download-to-sign-up conversion rate, 30 percent 30-day retention rates, and 20 min in-app session times.

One key reason why the company is profitable is the fact that they are so effective at monetizing each user, whether it be with ads, in app purchases or upgrade to the pro version of the product. Skimble’s other co-founder is Gabe Vanrenren, previously co-founder of Flurry, which specializes in helping mobile app developers maximize engagement with their users. This is probably one of the key reasons why Skimble has been able to achieve such positive user metrics and their 2 millionth download in early 2012, making them one of the top health apps in the App Store.

Skimble’s apps bring me back to the days when ESPN would have personal fitness gurus during the daytime (before SportsCenter essentially became a 24-hour news program) and each would have their own exercise products and self-branded machines. I had thought these personal fitness brands would be forever relegated to the late night infomercials and NBC’s The Biggest Loser. That is until I saw Skimble and it became clear they are offering personal trainers a new media platform to brand themselves and distribute their products via mobile devices.

by: Michelle Kraft

Happtique, an online mobile health application marketplace, has announced it will develop a certification program to vet mobile applications for doctors, nurses and patients. The organization created the program based on feedback from providers and hospitals, Corey Ackerman, president of Happtique, told eWEEK. Happtique will evaluate which applications are appropriate for clinical use and those that are outdated or poorly built.

According to Happtique representatives evaluation criteria will include functionality, usability and security. Any application, whether it is in the Happtique mobile application store or not, is eligible to be reviewed by the organization. The program will be funded by charges levied on app developers. Happtique also stated it plans to provide constructive feedback for application developers on how to make their applications better, rather than criticizing applications publicly.

If an application fails, they can reapply, but their failure may or may not be made public based on the panel’s decision.

As previously mentioned by the iMedicalApps team, Happtique created a custom catalog of mobile health apps directed towards physicians and patients. Apps are sorted into specific clinical subtopics.

Cory Ackerman, Happtique President, said,

“With more than 20,000 healthcare apps in the marketplace – and more coming out every day –healthcare organizations and professionals are expressing the need for a bona fide mhealth app certification program.”

Happtique  announced it will be forming a “Blue Ribbon Panel” to create a certification program that Happtique will use to evaluate and certify mobile healthcare apps for medical professionals and patients. The panel will be responsible for developing quality and performance standards including procedures to be certified.

The panel will be a multi-disciplinary group with clinical experience, expertise in social media, mhealth technology, healthcare accreditation & certification programs, and patient engagement.  The panel will be chaired by orthopedic surgeon Howard J Luks, M.D.,  Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at New York Medical College (Valhalla, NY), who serves as the Chief Of Sports Medicine And Arthroscopy at University Orthopedics, PC and Westchester Medical Center. Other members of the panel are Franklin A. Shaffer, EdD., RN, FAAN, Shuvo Roy, PhD, and Dave deBronkart.

mHealth Research Digest by Tim Bredrup

Today’s smartphones are now equipped with cameras that can be used to detect changes in heart rate in a person’s finger using a technology called photoplethysmographic (PPG) measurement.

PPG refers to the technology commonly used by a pulse oximeter to capture blood volume change by illuminating the finger with a light-emitting diode.

When the light that is shining on the finger changes as a result of blood moving in and out of the finger, the change can be measured. Recently a team of researchers in South Carolina performed research to determine the validity of an Android-based software program to detect and capture heart rate measurements as a proof of concept for its use,  The software was compared them to traditional means of measuring heart rate (ECG and pulse oximeter).

A total of three devices were used in the study to gather heart rate measurements during various movement-free tasks.  They included a Motorola Droid, an electrocardiograph (ECG), and a Nonin 9560BT pulse oximeter.  As described in the study’s methods,heart rates “ were collected simultaneously from 14 subjects, ages 20 to 58, healthy or with clinical conditions, using the 3 devices during 5-minute periods while at rest, reading aloud under observation, and playing a video game.”

The results revealed high correlations between all device pairs and across all conditions.  Bland-Altman plots further revealed the Droid as being a valid way to measure heart rates. “Across all conditions, the Droid compared to ECG” the study declared.

Researchers concluded that the Android app provides valid heart rate readings at varying levels of movement.   Furthermore, components such as electrode patches and wireless sensor telemetric straps are not necessary, which makes the Droid app less complicated and more user friendly. However, additional research still needs to be done to determine how well this new medium can perform during physical movement-related activities.  In addition, further research is needed to determine if other smartphones and similar apps can meet the standards of validity as the Motorola Droid.

Authors: Gregoski MJ, Mueller M, Vertegel A, Shaporev A, Jackson BB, Frenzel RM, Sprehn SM, Treiber FA.

Institutions: South Carolina Center of Economic Excellence, Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles (TACHL), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Original Abstract: Pubmed