Top quality health apps to support residents across Greater Manchester to live well with and after cancer will now be available on a new, NHS-approved health app library.
Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, part of the NHS, and ORCHA, the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps, which reviews health apps for the NHS, have worked together on the new app library.
Members of the public can access the library for free from the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance website www.gmcancer.org.uk
Digital tools such as health apps are an important tool to supplement face-to-face healthcare. They help and encourage people to manage their own health. Doctors are increasingly recommending health apps to support patients and service users with long-term conditions such as cancer and diabetes and with lifestyle changes.
ORCHA has already created Health App Libraries for 70% of NHS regions. The Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance Health App Library has been specially curated to support the common health and wellbeing concerns which affect people living with and beyond cancer.
Alison Armstrong, Associate Director, Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said: “In an increasingly digital world, it is important to be able to trust the information you find in apps and online.
“Our new ORCHA app library will give people affected by cancer the confidence they need to engage with tools which can support them with symptom control, mental wellbeing and finding support from people with lived experience of cancer.”
ORCHA reviews health apps against 350+ tough standards, including elements of the NICE framework – and only apps which achieve a score of over 65% for clinical assurance, data privacy and usability will be featured on its app libraries. Fresh reviews are then triggered each time an app is updated, so that standards are maintained.
