Software developer pilots health app prescription system

NEW YORK — A company that provides an online store and management system for mobile health apps is piloting a program that allows physicians and other health practitioners to electronically prescribe medical, health and fitness apps for patients.



Happtique announced the pilot program of mRx, which it said was designed to improve practitioner-patient communication, patient engagement, adherence and health. The pilot will focus on physical therapy, fitness training, bone health, diabetes, arthritis and heart health, for which the company has consulted a specialist in each field and reviewed various websites to develop a sample liftoff apps for each of the targeted areas. Practitioners can prescribe apps from the sample list or other apps of their choice.



"Given the tens of thousands of medical, health and fitness apps on the market today, patients need guidance from healthcare professionals as they select and use these apps to manage their health," Happtique CEO Ben Chodor said. "We also firmly believe that app prescribing will prove an effective tool for facilitating positive patient behavior change, which will foster self-management and monitoring and ultimately result in improved health outcomes and lowered healthcare costs."



The app will include a catalog of apps that practitioners can prescribe, a patient directory and an electronic prescription form.

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