worsen has been shown to be effective for some ME and CFS patients.
This assumes patients have the energy to apply the application.
iPhone app launched to help people manage chronic condition
Press release issued 1 March 2012
ActiveME=A9, a new iPhone application, has been launched to help
patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME (CFS/ME).
The new app, which has been developed by experts in the field of
CFS/ME including Dr Esther Crawley from the University of Bristol, and
tested by people with the condition, is designed to assist patients in
keeping track of their activity levels, a key part of rehabilitation
and self-managing this chronic condition.
CFS/ME affects approximately four in every 1,000 people in the UK. The
condition is common in children affecting at least 1 per cent of
teenagers, and is arguably the most common cause of long-term absence
from school.
Dr Crawley, Consultant Senior Lecturer at the University=92s School of
Social and Community Medicine and consultant paediatrician and service
lead for the children and young peoples CFS/ME service at the RNHRD
explains: =93Patients with CFS/ME suffer from chronic exhaustion that is
not helped by sleep or rest. This affects all aspects of their lives,
and on a bad day, even tasks that you or I might take for granted such
as brushing our hair or watching TV can be extremely difficult. The
flip side of this is that on a good day a person will do too much and
then pay for it for the next few days. We call this =91boom and bust=92
energy cycles.
=93Energy is anything that stimulates the brain or body. The
evidence-based treatment that we use at the RNHRD involves patients
monitoring their energy usage on day-to-day activities so that we can
see when these cycles occur, prevent them from happening in the
future, and help the patient to maintain balance and improve their
condition.=94
ActiveME=A9 takes this premise and provides an innovative, interactive
patient-centred tool designed to help patients monitor and track their
activity and energy levels, show energy patterns and help to plan
activities on an hourly basis. This data can then be recorded within
the application and provide the person with a visual representation of
their information.
Louise Wilson, programme manager for the Northern CFS Clinical Network
added: =93The app is a fantastic way for people to feel in control in
managing their condition. Having the app on their iPhone makes their
charts and monitoring information more portable and accessible which
we hope will encourage more meticulous use of this self-monitoring
tool.=94
Dr Crawley adds: =93The information recorded can then be discussed with
their clinical teams and the data used to inform treatment plans. This
makes each patients treatment highly individualised and patients can
really feel that they are taking charge of their care.
=93This is a really exciting development and provides us with another
tool to help people with this complex condition to maximise their
independence.=94
The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS
Foundation Trust, the Northern CFS/ME Clinical Network and Indigo
Mulitimedia teamed up to utilise modern technology as a tool to help
these patients, who often find themselves in =91boom and bust=92 energy
cycles. The application is available to download from the Apple App
store under utilities.
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