Redmond, Washington — A free mobile app for the Windows 8 platform developed in collaboration with an IT company NextGen Healthcare, enables consumers to store, track and share their personal medication records. The MedicineCabinet lets patients create personal medication records on their mobile devices for easy tracking and sharing that is aimed at supporting patients in adverse conditions with doctors.
The software giant says that the MedicineCabinet app, offered in association with NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, is intended to encourage patients to take a more active role in care collaboration. Some other features of its new MedicineCabinet app will allow healthcare providers to reduce duplicate or unnecessary medicines and help them spot if their patients have been prescribed inappropriate drugs.
According to Dennis Schmuland, chief health strategy officer of US Health & Life Sciences at Microsoft, said: “Windows 8 is presenting new ways for healthcare IT developers like NextGen to enable consumers to use one device to take charge of their own healthcare and well-being. With the MedicineCabinet app, patients can easily and seamlessly tap, type, or swipe to share and stay connected.”
While simplifying the task, the app allows patients to create and update a list of medications, including dosing and schedule information. Also, users can add a medication to the list, enter in dosing requirements and let the application run. It is supposed to reduce the intake of unnecessary drugs by a person by sending them notifications at the appropriate time for each medication, and the user can confirm compliance, officials said.
As a matter of fact, a mobile data such as this could effectively helps physicians and patients avoid inadvertent inconsistencies across transitions in care by reviewing the patient’s complete medication regimen at the time of admission, transfer and discharge and comparing it with the regimen being considered for the new setting of care.
Michael Paquin, VP of business development at NextGen, speaking to InformationWeek Healthcare said that the tool is not only used for patients to become engaged in their care. The company designed it to also provide reminders and alerts and act as a “quick reference medication record” to present to physicians. For instance, if a patient visits a new physician and his/her medication information is not promptly available, the patient is able to present the app information to the new physician.
Furthermore, officials claim that MedicineCabinet also helps providers identify potential drug-drug interactions; recognize potentially inappropriate medications; reduce duplication of therapies or unnecessary medication; ensure appropriate monitoring of medication; improve adherence and proper use of medication; and enhance patients’ understanding of how to properly take their medication and to recognize adverse reactions.
Expounding on the collaborative efforts, the NextGen Healthcare executive said, “Mobile patient engagement is at the forefront of today’s changing healthcare environment providing consumer technology that encourages members to control and lead healthier lifestyles and is a key factor in improving outcomes,” said Ike Ellison executive vice president of business development for NextGen Healthcare.
The MedicineCabinet app is free and available in the Microsoft App store.