New Cardiac Care Mobile App Launches First In Tulsa

Developers of a new electronic tool are hoping to make Tulsans healthier.

Tulsa was picked as a test site for a new app, to see if it can make a difference in cardiac care.

The modern explosion of information driven by portable devices is coming into healthcare and providing new information about your own body. That's being folded into a new healthcare database that should help your doctor give better care.

Oklahoma is a state where obesity is a chronic problem, and smoking rates are higher than the national average, but it's also a place where many people use a smart phone.

That's an element of why doctors want to improve health with smart phone apps, like Heart Health Mobile.

Dr. David Kendrick said it can show patients their risk of a heart attack and guide them to make changes.

"To get patients educated about their own personal health risk and getting them connected somewhere in the healthcare system," Kendrick said.

The new app is one way individuals can gather their own information and get appropriate care. It can actually direct people to the nearest physician taking new patients for the kind of cardiac care they need.

Tulsa is only place where this new system is fully in use.

"And we were selected as one of the five launch cities - part of the Million Hearts Initiative - to prevent a million heart attacks over a five-year timeline, and we were one of the first cities embedded for the technology portion of it," said Michael Noshay, of the My Health Access Network.

Tulsa's network of electronically connected medical providers has expanded beyond 1,300 physicians to even community health events, like the one last week at Guthrie Green.

5/11/2013 Related Story: Tulsa Pulse: Free Fitness Event Held Saturday At Guthrie Green

Health information gathered at places like that is now available to a person's own physician, so they can see more information over time.

The app is just one element of an electronic revolution giving physicians and patients more information.

"And this is a tool designed to help me understand my risk right now, and also to check in a few weeks or months, to see about the changes I've made in my lifestyle," Kendrick said.

The Heart Health mobile app is for iPhones, but it's also available on the web for Android devices or desktop computers.

Get The App Here