CDC Launches New Mobile App

It was only a matter of time before the CDC developed a mobile app — and it looks like it is jam-packed with features. Unfortunately for me, it isn’t compatible with my mobile device, but I was able to read enough about it, to make me wish I could download it. The CDC is one of my go-to websites, so I’m sure the mobile app is just as good.

Available for most Android and iOS devices, this is free for all. Some of the features include:

  • CDC Health articles: These are written by “subject matter experts and health communicators,” and are on a variety of topics. 
  • Disease of the week: This feature has quizzes, prevention tips, images and videos pertaining to a certain topic. I like to think of this as “convince yourself that you have this disease” of the week. Okay, not really. But I could see myself doing that.
  • CDC Vital Signs: This contains information that relates to public health topics, and “calls to action” about them. It has information on everything from seatbelt use to HIV testing to obesity.
  • Newsroom: Simple enough, this contains press releases from the CDC. They often release important information, so this might be helpful to have on hand.
  • Podcasts

For those accessing the CDC app from a tablet, it has been optimized to work better there. It can be used on the iPad, and the Google Play Store tested (and fount it to work well) on the Google Nexus 7″, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1″, Amazon Kindle Fire, Motorola Xoom 10.1″, Samsung Galaxy 1, 7″, and the Samsung Galaxy 2, 7″.

From what I can tell, this is a great resource. For anyone that follows the CDC on a regular basis, this is a must-have. I think it would be interesting if the CDC would add some kind of notification system — if there’s an outbreak of illness or disease on someone’s area, they would be instantly notified. That could end up causing widespread panic, but I think it could be a great feature. Overall though, I wish I could download this app to my phone, because it does have a lot of different functions.

As I mentioned, this is a free app available for both and iOS devices.

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January 14, 2013 I Written By

Katie Clark is originally from Colorado and currently lives in Utah with her husband and son. She writes primarily for Smart Phone Health Care, but contributes to several Health Care Scene blogs, including EMR Thoughts, EMR and EHR, and EMR and HIPAA. She enjoys learning about Health IT and mHealth, and finding ways to improve her own health along the way.

Filed Under: Android  Apple  Health Care  Healthcare IT  iPad  iPhone  Medical Devices  mHealth  Mobile Health Care  Smart Phones
Tags:                  Mobile Health    

Consult A Doctor Offers 24/7 Flu Hotline That Costs Less than $40

Flu season is generally miserable for everyone.  Even if you don’t actually get sick you spend half your time avoiding the people who are sick.  Then you start to get symptoms but you wait as long as humanly possible to actually see a doctor because it is so expensive and time-consuming.  Consult A Doctor is releasing a new service designed to change all of that.

Their new service, FLUHOTLINE24/7, provides round the clock access to board certified physicians that can diagnose your sickness, and even prescribe medication if they need to.  That means no more driving across town, waiting forever, and then being told to drink fluids and take some medicine.

The whole process is as simple as placing a call to 1-855-DOC-4FLU or logging on to www.FLUHOTLINE247.com.  The whole process only takes a matter of minutes, and costs less than $40 regardless of your insurance status.

I’m not the kind of person to go to the doctor unless I am about to cough up or lung or have an appendage fall off.  That being said, it would be nice to get a simple illness taken care of so easily and at such a low-cost.

According to Consult A Doctor’s press release, the Center for Disease Control has reported that flu related complications lead to over 200,000 hospitalizations, many of which did not really need a hospital stay, which is simply wasteful and overcrowds an already overloaded system.

The ability to get help from home, not have to spend so much time at the hospital, and the exceptionally low-cost should make this incredibly appealing to just about anyone.  Now we just have to hope that people will actually use it.

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January 19, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Health Care  Telemedicine
Tags:At Home Flu Doctor  Board Certified Physicians    Consult A Doctor  Flu Hotline  Flu Season  FLUHOTLINE24/7

CDC Flu App Challenge: Win up to $15,000

Everyone hates getting the flu, and if you are anything like me you hate getting a flu shot even more.  Well now there is a way for you to make some money courtesy of the flu, and the CDC.  The Center for Disease Control is sponsoring a contest for people to develop an app that is, “an innovative use of technology to raise awareness of influenza and/or educate consumers on ways to prevent and treat the flu.

The contest is challenging participants to create new ways to use technology for the web, personal computers, mobile handheld devices, or any other platform broadly accessible to the open internet.  They will even provide the data for you from a list of websites that you can find here.

The winners can receive up to $15,000 cash as well as having their app featured on the CDC website. Submissions can be entered through the website below between April 6, 2011 and May 27, 2011.

For full contest details and to submit your entry please go to the contest website.

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May 2, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: Android  Apple  Blackberry  Health Care  Healthcare IT  iPad  iPhone  mHealth  Mobile Health Care  Smart Phones  Tablets
Tags:App Contest  App Development      Flu App Challenge  Influenza