Washington, D.C. (December 6, 2012) – Today, the Application Developers Alliance launched a working group focused on health and medical apps. Comprised of Alliance members, the group will support growth in the medical, health, and wellness application marketplace. The working group will provide core expertise and guidance to the Alliance and its members through commissioned research, white papers, policy recommendations, and best practices.
Happtique, a secure, developer-agnostic digital platform for the curation, certification, and prescribing of mobile health apps, will chair the working group; and Kessler Foundation, a large public charity that conducts rehabilitation research in mobility and cognition that advances the care of people with multiple sclerosis, brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury, will serve as Vice Chair. Initial members include: Applico, Ericsson, Innoppl, Nexercise, Therapylinq, Smart Online, and WillowTree Apps. Arent Fox will serve as an advisor.
“With experts predicting that 30% of smartphone users will use health and wellness apps by 2015, it is essential that providers and payers have a robust mhealth app marketplace from which they can create app formularies that address their needs,” said Ben Chodor, Chief Executive Officer at Happtique. “Given the important role of mHealth in the transformation of health care, we applaud the Application Developers Alliance for creating this work group to ensure the development of innovative, high quality and standards-based health and wellness apps. Happtique is honored to serve as Chair of the Heath and Medical Apps Working Group and offer best practices and guidance that we culled from a wide array of government agencies and organizations during the development of our mobile health app certification standards,” said Chodor.
“The development of the Health and Medical Apps Working Group is timely,” said neuropsychologist Denise Krch, PhD. “With more than 13,000 health-related apps available in the consumer market, there is a tremendous need for ambassadorship to this burgeoning field of technology. As a research scientist representing Kessler Foundation, I seek to represent health care providers and act as a steward for consumers ensuring that advancements made are safe and efficacious. The application of new technologies to rehabilitation research is a priority for Kessler Foundation, which is pleased to contribute to the mission of this important new group. ”
“Health and medical apps offer a tremendous opportunity for the democratization of health care services. Already, apps are helping distant doctors reach rural residents, enabling diabetic patients to keep better track of their blood sugar, and encouraging users to exercise more or eat better. The Alliance looks forward to working with industry leaders through our Health and Medical Apps Working Group to advance this innovations that help make health care more streamlined, cost-efficient, and user-friendly,” said Jon Potter, Alliance President.
The Application Developers Alliance working groups shape Alliance programs, policies, and resources. The Alliance has launched working groups focused on Business & Revenue, Emerging Technologies & Research, and Mobile Payments. Additional working groups will be announced in the coming weeks.
About the Application Developers Alliance
The Application Developers Alliance is an industry association dedicated to meeting the unique needs of application developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Alliance members include more than 15,000 individual application developers and dozens of companies, investors, and stakeholders in the apps ecosystem.
