By Janet Maragioglio | Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:32 pm |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking a developer for a mobile alerts app that will communicate vital drug reaction information during public health crises.
The FDA realized the need for the app during 2009's H1N1 "swine flu" outbreak, when the agency approved use of experimental drug Peramavir. At that time, the only way health workers could report adverse reactions to the drug and receive urgent communications from the FDA was through a desktop-computer based system.The system was inefficient and slow, leading ten percent or more of adverse drug reactions to go unreported, according to the agency. Several apps launched during that time attempted to keep the general public and healthcare providers informed about H1N1, but there was no single, reliable source people could count on for information. The FDA hopes the new mobile alert system and app will help avoid a repeat performance in the case of another public health crisis like the swine flu pandemic. The new mobile alert system will also bring the FDA in line with other government agencies using rapidly proliferating mobile devices to communicate with emergency personnel and the public. For example, last year the Federal Communications Commission rolled out a mobile alert system called PLAN that texts people about impending disasters. Other mobile alert systems are making forays into the healthcare field as well, such as an app from Aetna Insurance that sends alerts to doctors about clinical information and patient claims, allowing them to identify safety issues, talk with patients about upcoming tests or checkups, and discuss health management programs. Large-scale mobile alert systems are not without drawbacks, however. Last month, Verizon apologized after texts from the Commercial Mobile Alert System, or CMAS, falsely warned Verizon users in New Jersey of a civil emergency and ordered them to "take shelter now," setting off widespread panic. In most cases, however, mobile alert systems help public officials issue warnings and instructions in a fast, efficient manner -- exactly what the FDA aims for with its new app. Once the FDA selects a vendor to create the app, called RAPID, or Real-Time Application for Portable Interactive Devices, the developer will have one year to create a working prototype that works on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry smartphones, with a tablet version to follow. RAPID will feature video and photographic capabilities so it can record and circulate videos and pictures of drug reactions, as well as audio recordings of a patient's medical history. It will also allow health care workers to view medical images, such as x-rays and EKGs, and include GPS functionality to track adverse drug reactions and determine possible patterns. The app will also support "bidirectional" communication, allowing the FDA to issue warnings or instructions quickly to healthcare workers, and enabling healthcare personnel to report adverse reactions to the agency in real time. The FDA sends out about four million reports on experimental drugs per year, a process the new alert system is expected to streamline and make more effective.
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