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Epilepsy Related Applications for Smartphones
July 27, 2011 2:45 PMSend to a Friend
What is a Smartphone?
A smartphone integrates basic cell phone functions with an operating system similar to a personal hand-held computer. The device can access the internet, store data, take pictures, offer GPS navigation, play audio and visual media, and provide a variety of entertainment features. Smartphones can also be referred to as a PDA (personal digital assistant).
There are different types of smartphones. The most popular continues to be the iPhone produced by Apple Inc. However, there are others that are gaining in popularity. This includes the BlackBerry, and Google's Android Operating System for HTC, Samsung and LG mobile phone manufacturers.
In 2010 over five million Canadians used a smartphone, and demand for the smartphone continues to grow. The majority of smartphone users are between the age of 25 and 34. However, ages 35 to 44 and 18 to 24 are very active users as well.
What is a Smartphone Application (app)?
Smartphones use applications (apps) to personalize and increase a phone’s functions. These mobile device software programs allow you to search, shop, game and multitask a variety of functions from your smartphone. Currently there are over 600,000 apps available for purchase or free of charge for various smartphones.
Recently, there have been some applications developed specifically to assist people with epilepsy and their caregivers. Below are some examples:
This free application was created by the Epilepsy Therapy Project for Apple products, however, the product will be available for other mobile carriers in the near future. The electronic diary is a comprehensive data-gathering and reporting tool. It tracks medications and their dosages as well as offers email and text reminders to take medication. The application also keeps a detailed profile of the user, and can document non-epilepsy specific details.
This free smartphone application was developed by a parent of a child with epilepsy. The program gives patients the opportunity to log and track seizure activity, make appointments and follow a medication schedule. The data is compiled into customized reports which include graphs for doctors and patients to assess.
 
This free application for iPhone provides step-by-step emergency seizure assistance for those with "little to no knowledge of seizures." It also differentiates itself from other first aid material by giving personalized directions based on yes and no questions. While also offering an emergency intake questionnaire to prepare quality documentation for EMTs and lists the nearest ER location using Google Maps.
 
When should you be cautious about applications?
There are many medical assistance applications available on the market today. However, be cautious with products that have a high fee and/or have no reviews or independent assessments. As well, even though there are a few smartphone applications that claim to predict seizures or recognize them, be aware that there are major limitations and criticisms about the viability of these.
Using a Smartphone Seizure Recording App – A Real Life Story
I upgraded my cell phone to an iPhone in April of this year. I am not a very tech savvy person, but with the assistance of a friend and the sales rep from the Mac Store I was able to quickly figure out the basics.
One of the first apps I downloaded was Seizure Tracker. I had heard about it previously and thought it would be useful for me. I have multiple seizure types. The majority are what I call “little” seizures or “jerks”. I’ve always had difficulties keeping track of these seizures even though they occur frequently. I’d write them down on different scraps of paper which would invariability get lost, or tell myself that I’d write them in my day planner later, but would forget about it.
Since I’ve started using this tracking system on my phone, I’ve finally been able to keep an accurate record of my “little” seizures. As well, it helps me remember the dosages of my medications.
This app is also great in that it graphs your information by month, time of day, seizure type, medication history, etc. You can also type in more information when you record seizures in the calendar. Such as what you were doing at that time, how much sleep you got the previous night, changes in meds, etc. You can then email this information to yourself and print it out.
Because of this I’ve realized that I often tended to miscount my little seizures, either way too low or way too high. I also didn’t realize that the majority happened between 5-8 pm.
When I had my next appointment with my neurologist I was able to accurately tell him how many seizures I had in the last two months. As well, the time of day they were most likely to occur. This resulted in a change in medication. So far, this increase in my medication seems to be decreasing the amount of “little” seizures I have – I keep crossing my fingers that it will continue to do so!
This may not be useful for everyone, but if you have a smartphone, it’s definitely worth checking it out. I found it much easier and accurate than using the old pen and paper method.
Posted by the BC Epilepsy Society at July 27, 2011 2:45 PM
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