Patients Know Best has invited smartphone app developers to integrate their apps with its platform, arguing that this will allow patients to share information with medical professionals anywhere in the world.
Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, founder and chief executive of the patient-controlled records system, said: “There are many innovative healthcare apps out there – and lots more in development – but at the moment, the data that patients tap into the phone usually stays on the phone.
“We are changing this because we think it is important that clinicians and doctors can access this information too.”
Dr Al-Ubaydli said the move would help app developers overcome technical and legal barriers to linking up to hospital and medical records systems.
Patients Know Best already integrates with the NHS secure network, and complies with EU legislation on data protection and the US HIPAA legislation on dealing with medical data.
Dr Al-Ubaydli also said Patients Know Best is working with four smartphone app developers, and that it has integrated two app designs with its software systems – one for US asthma patients and another for speech and language departments.
Patients Know Best is a patient-controlled medical records system that enables patients to organise and share medical data. It is already being used in the UK by Great Ormond Street Hospital, and NHS South Devon, as well as for clinical trials by Novartis.