Harvard Medical School Introduces New H1N1 IPhone Application

Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Public Health
Article Date: 28 Oct 2009 - 19:00 PDT

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The HMSMobile Swine Flu Center, a new iPhone application developed by the Harvard Health Publications Division of Harvard Medical School, is now available for purchase in the iTunes store. Following the decision by The White House to sign an emergency declaration for H1N1, this new application is a critical tool that leverages Harvard's extensive knowledge and provides the public with timely information on prevention and outbreaks of the H1N1 virus.

Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and editor-in-chief of Harvard Health Publications commented, "The H1N1 pandemic presents a significant public health threat. The White House has carefully examined the spread of the virus and their decision to sign an emergency declaration is a clear signal that we could be facing the most serious pandemic in a generation. Nothing is more important at this time than making sure the public is informed and prepared."

The HMSMobile Swine Flu Center application will give users access to:

- Video guides on how people can protect themselves, and how they can protect others from them if they get sick;

- Interactive tools to help users determine if they (or their children) may have caught swine (H1N1) flu, what to do and when to contact the doctor;

- Information on local hotlines with information about H1N1 flu in that community (as determined by the iPhone's GPS);

- News feeds from Harvard Medical School summarizing the latest information about H1N1, including updates from the Center for Disease Control and local public health officials;

- A question and answer capability in which the answers to selected questions will be broadcast in text, or as new videos;

- "Outbreaks Near Me," a program developed by Dr. John Brownstein and colleagues that enables users to track and report outbreaks of infectious diseases;

- Advice about survival kits, in case the epidemic becomes serious enough that many people are working from home and avoiding going out; and

- A special component for the business community developed by Harvard Business School, that provides information on how to best prepare their enterprises for managing through the pandemic, including information for managers, signage for the workplace, employee guides and global hotlines for business travelers.

HMSMobile, a new venture developed in cooperation with The Imagine Network as a strategic partner, represents the commitment of Harvard Medical School's doctors and scientists to provide people with knowledge and skills that will improve their health. Over time HMSMobile plans to expand its offerings to include content for additional platforms beyond the iPhone series, as different mobile devices add functionality that allows for similar integration.

Click here to learn more about HMSMobile and watch a trailer about the HMSMobile Swine Flu Center application: http://www.hmsmobile.com/

Michael E. Porter, Harvard Professor, internationally-known authority on health care strategy, and Harvard Health Publications advisor, commented, "Our nation's response to H1N1 is going to be a real test of our ability to deal with nation-wide systemic threats. Utilizing the power of mobile technologies is going to be a critical component in our response profile. These tools offer unprecedented ability to put information in the palm of people's hands at the very moment when it can make the most difference - when a first symptom is spotted, when a co-worker gets sick, when a family member is in need of care. That can make the difference between a destructive, panicked reaction and a thoughtful, preventative response."

About Harvard Medical School and Harvard Health Publications

Harvard University established the medical school in 1782. The mission of Harvard Medical School is to create and nurture a diverse community of the best people committed to leadership in ending human suffering caused by disease. It encompasses 17 affiliated hospitals and research institutions. Each year, more than 10,000 faculty members train hundreds of medical students and thousands of resident physicians and research fellows. Harvard doctors have developed a broad range of medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries and innovations for which they have received numerous awards, including 16 Nobel prizes. Harvard Health Publications is a division of Harvard Medical School responsible for creating information about health and medicine for the general public-newsletters, special health reports, books, magazine articles, newspaper columns, and information for Web sites (http://www.health.harvard.edu).

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The Imagine Network