Electronic health technology linked to ER24

"This is an important development because is connects the previously separate domains of mobile healthcare monitoring and healthcare institutions and professionals," says Johannesburg-based cardiologist Dr Riaz Motara, founder of KardioFit. "With it, we've developed an approach that focuses on the patient's experience, helping individuals manage their healthcare and connecting them with their doctors and caregivers and linking mobile technology with emergency services when needed."

The app allows patients to view their daily blood pressure readings and trends and automatically saves a history, backed up in the cloud, and mails a comprehensive graph of all the readings taken each month to them and their doctors or healthcare providers. It helps patients to schedule monitoring and medication times by sending them messages to remind them to check blood pressure (and even a follow-up phone call if they have not done so within a certain number of days). It also informs them what they should do in the case of certain results, such as book an appointment with their doctor.

"The app is also linked to medical support and will dispatch an ambulance immediately and automatically in the case of a hypertensive emergency, bridging the gap between information and active healthcare," says Motara. The app also includes a panic button.

Kardiofit is available on Android phones currently and will be available on 10 October in the Apple Store. For more information, go to www.kardiofit.co.za.