Healthcare Technology Featured Article

May 10, 2010

Healthcare Technology and News: howsthepatient iPhone App Helps Users Send Health Updates to Friends and Family


The howsthepatient iPhone app helps people cope with information sharing about medical situations.

The brainchild of Susan Weisbarth, howsthepatient was developed by Due North Communications and Isobar. howsthepatient is available at the iTunes Store on the web for just $1.99.

The howsthepatient app allows users to receive health alerts from friends & loved ones with photos, contact information, location, updates & more. According to Susan Weisbarth, CEO of howsthepatient, it was a bump to the head like Isaac Newton’s apple that sparked this idea.

When Weisbarth got an emergency call that her 75-year-old mother was being rushed to the hospital with stroke symptoms, it prompted her to find a better way to pre-empt an uncomfortable number of messages, e-mails and calls enquiring about her mother’s status. The howsthepatient app is easy to use and adaptable to any situation whether it is a medical emergency or a celebratory event such as the birth of a new baby.

The howsthepatient iPhone app is simple to set up by moving names from an existing contact list. It is even possible to send regular updates exclusively to a contact group. After the recipients receive their first update, they will be able to use the app to source other information such as the location of the hospital or to facilitate the delivery of flowers or cards.

Even though howsthepatient was developed as an iphone app, selected contacts will be able to receive updates via e-mail on other PDAs as well. The howsthepatient app incorporates features such as discreet networking by connecting only with a selected circle of family and friends as well as instant and efficient communication by sharing information and updates in real time from a single touch point. The controlled communication feature enables users to manage the information sent to and received from family and friends. It is also possible to aggregate contacts by choosing contacts directly from the iphone and importing them in to howsthepatient. Integration with Facebook and Twitter, Google Map Search, Emergency Hotlines and Instant Photo Sharing are some of the other features present in the howsthepatient iPhone app.


Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Marisa Torrieri
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