Mobile and Web Apps for Care Management: A Guide

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Have you noticed that there seem to be technology tools for nearly everything except for what you need most - managing your health? 

From prescription reminders to sharing your records to links to online support groups, we've curated a list of online tools (either available on your computer or your mobile phone) that can help guide you. As a note, this post is meant to introduce a variety of free applications available online and/or on your mobile phone, and is not an endorsement or recommendation.

Information Management and Organization

• Cancer.net’s free app provides a guide on 120 cancer types and provides a place to save information about prescription medications, a symptom tracker and an interactive tool to keep track of questions to ask your healthcare provider and record their voice answers (note: Spanish-version available).
• Pocket Cancer Care Guide helps you ask your healthcare provider and team the right questions.

iChemoDiary is available through the iTunes Store (free)

• iChemo Diary (iOS only; available in French) helps you keep track of symptoms, treatments and notes to discuss with your healthcare provider.
• Jack Imaging is a free tool that allows you to manage your medical imaging records online. View, upload and/or share X-rays, CT and MRI scans with your family or care team directly and never lose your imaging records again.

• MyMedical helps you keep your records organized, track and chart test results, and keep critical information on hand all the time.   
• Chemo Brain Doc Notes provides yet another free tool to help you remember what you need to ask your healthcare provider, and save time in recording and managing your notes.
• Better offers a personalized health assistant to help you navigate the complicated healthcare system. They have partnered with Mayo Clinic to provide easy access to world-class care. Their free app can be accessed through the iTunes store, here. 
• intake.me was founded by Darla Brown, a regular volunteer at the Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center, in order to streamline the patient intake experience. Intake.me will go live early 2015 and you can sign up to be notified, here. 

Find Clinical Trials

• Cure Launcher provides a free, personalized service to match you with an appropriate clinical trial. Visit their website or call 1-800-488-6632 to speak with a representative.
• Clinical Trial Seeker App: Get cancer trial information quickly and conveniently sourced from the NIH database. Search by location, disease type, treatment, phase of trial, trial sponsor, age, gender and/or keyword.

• Cleveland Clinic Cancer Trials provides a real-time database directly on your mobile phone so you can stay up to date on Cleveland Clinic's 130+ clinical trials for cancer patients.
• NCI Clinical Trials
• ClinicalTrials.gov 

Pill Reminder / Drug Information and Prices

• Rxmind Me is a reminder for your medications, vitamins and supplements.
• Pocket Pharm provides drug information, medication organizer and interaction checker.
• Epocrates is a clinical reference guide available in your pocket.

• GoodRX helps you save money on prescription drugs by providing price comparisons and coupons to local pharmacies. Find and print their pharmacy coupons so you don’t end up paying more than you need to.
• iPharmacy Drug Guide & Pill ID helps you keep track of your medication regiment by combining a pharmacy discount card with a medication educational resource. The app helps identify prescription drugs and provides information about dosage, warnings and contraindications. 

• Med Helper reminds you to take medication, keep track of your appointments and more 

Managing Side Effects and Rest and Relaxation

• My PearlPoint Cancer Side Effects Helper offers nutritional guidance and practical tips to help survivors maintain their strength and just feel better.
• Calm - meditate, sleep, and relax. 

Support and Online Networking

• CaringBridge
• Treatment Diaries provides an outlet for anonymous, shared healing.

• IHadCancer.com: join tens of thousands of survivors and supporters who understand what you are going through. Search by location, cancer type, age and gender.

Breast Cancer - specific: 

• Breast Cancer Diagnosis Guide provides answers to your diagnosis questions, articles about your particular cancer type and guides you through unfamiliar medical terminology. The app also claims to help you understand your diagnostic reports (free for iOS).
• Cancer Coach has information on breast cancer and treatment, with a journal function allowing type and voice input (free for iOS and Android);
• iEat for Life: Breast Cancer helps you maintain a healthy diet while undergoing breast cancer treatment. The app contains a database with nutritional values and cooking tips for countless food items. It also includes research studies that cite certain foods as being beneficial for the prevention or healing of breast cancer (free for iOS).

• Breast Cancer: Beyond the Shock is a support-group app for diagnosed patients as well as their caretakers. The app contains information about breast cancer and connects you with others who have gone or are going through the same thing you are (free for iOS).

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Thank you for reading and please share your favorite online tools with us by commenting in the space below or by sending an e-mail to info@cancersupportcommunitybenjmaincenter.org