Happtique plans to introduce mobile health app certification

We love discovering new health apps and services here at Connected Health, but one of our big concerns at the moment is that there are so many apps out there that aren’t being monitored and, as we’ve written in the past, no one can guarantee that the advice and lifestyle they’re suggesting to users is accurate or based on enough knowledge and experience.

Well, to try and address this problem, the app superstore website Happtique is looking to establish a panel to advise on the development of new apps and most importantly evaluate and then certify apps that can be used by patients and medical professionals. The new certification program will consist of a set of quality and performance standards set by hospitals and patients to enable apps to be rated and certified.

Corey Ackerman, president of Happtique, said:

“We have been asked in virtually every conversation with hospitals and other healthcare providers whether we can help them determine which apps are suitable for their doctors, nurses, and other staff to use, as well as their patients.

“Our mission is to have a program with standards that enable specialists to review an application that pertains to their particular specialty, so that they may determine its appropriateness.”

Happtique’s plans are much more geared up to approving professional-grade applications that doctors and nurses might use rather than those about healthy eating or exercise regimes you’ll find ranking highly on iTunes. However, this kind of certification is bound to have a very positive impact on the mobile health space as a whole and hopefully spread to other kinds of apps and services in the near future.

[Via Information Week]