From maps, to games, to tracking how many steps you take, there are apps for just about everything! But now, apps on your smart phone are actually saving lives!
Connor Jasper loves trains, cookies, basketball, just about anything a typical little 4 year old boy likes. However, he is anything but typical. Connor suffers from a heart condition that has put him in an ambulance four times.
Connor's mother, Kristy Jasper told Ivanhoe, "I am very scared about it all the time, every few weeks I tell myself it's going to happen any day because it seems to happen once a month."
Connor's condition, known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, has no warning signs. His heart rate can sky rocket causing fatigue and dizziness, even death.
Kristy Jasper told Ivanhoe, "He'll just be doing anything, playing, he could be sleeping and his heart rate will just jump."
Alisa Niksch, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist at Tufts University Medical Center, told Ivanhoe, "It's particularly challenging in small children who can't always communicate uh what symptoms they are having."
But now his smart phone can monitor his heart 24-7. Connor takes this heart monitor with him anywhere. Electropads are put on his chest and can record, display and store his heart rhythms.
The results can be sent to his doctor immediately.
Kristy Jasper told Ivanhoe, "I was able to call the doctor because she gets the feed from my phone instantly."
That quick response saved Connor another trip to the ER.
The AliveCor heart monitor is available to patients without the need for a prescription. The app is free, and the heart monitor costs about $200.
BACKGROUND: Almost everyone today has a cell phone. In 2013, 97 percent of adults had a cell phone in the United States. Of those 97 percent, 56 percent of those were smart phones meaning they have the ability to go on the internet. Apps have become more and more popular and are available for apple, android, blackberry, and windows phones. Apps are available for anything ranging from social media, to travel, to games, to even heart monitors now.
(Source: http://www.accuconference.com/blog/Cell-Phone-Statistics.aspx)
ALIVECOR MONITOR AND APP: The AliveCor Heart Monitor can be purchased at an affordable price and can be used to track your heart rate anywhere. People who use this are people who have or think they could develop heart disease. The monitor is also beneficial for people who are health conscious. The technology uses electrical impulses from the user and turns them into ultrasound signals that are transmitted to the phone. The device is easy to use and just rests on your fingers or your chest. The AliveCor app is available for download for both Android and iOS. What is also great about this technology is that it can be downloaded for free by anyone with an app store available on their phone. It works with the Heart Monitor and records and saved single-channel ECG's onto its program. It produces high reliability tracings. These tracings are very similar to LEAD I on regular ECG machines. These recordings are then saved into the cloud and the information can be accessed at any time under confidentiality. This info can then be shared with doctors so that they can look at the readings and determine what is going on. You also have the ability to save it as a PDF or send it as an email. The goal of the app is to provide advanced technology that can be used anywhere as well as convenience to save, share and send info. To purchase an AliveCor heart monitor go to the following link: http://store.alivecor.com/
(Source: http://www.alivecor.com/what-is-it)
HEART DISEASE: Heart disease kills around 600,000 people every year which is 1 out of every 4 deaths. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Over $100 billion a year is spent on coronary heart disease. Being able to monitor heart rates can be a good way to make sure that your heart is healthy, and can help you notice if anything seems abnormal. Noticing the warning signs is crucial and acting early can help save your life.
(Source: http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm )
* For More Information, Contact:
Rebecca Phillips
Senior Manager, Public Relations and Corporate Communications
(415) 795-9807
Rebecca@alivecor.com
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