Cleveland Clinic Foundation develops iPad-based MS disability assessment tool
The portability and power available on the iPad makes Apple's little machine that could a source of incredible opportunity in the medical diagnostic field. Recently the Cleveland Clinic Foundation developed a new app for the device called the Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT). MSPT helps doctors assess balance, walking speed, manual dexterity, visual function, and cognition in patients living with the inflammatory disease.
MSPT can be used in a clinical situation or by patients at home. Once the data is collected it's transmitted to a clinical or research database, which in some cases could eliminate the need for a clinic visit by the patient.
You can read the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's report on the app and its development here. Their report starts with a wonderful video presentation showcasing the app. Sadly it's not embeddable, but if you have even a passing interest in the development of medical apps or the fight against MS, you should take the ten minutes required to watch.
Given the promised innovations coming with Apple's upcoming HealthKit, we're going to be seeing more medical apps coming to iOS in the near future. We can't wait to see what new doors the medical field will be able to open once iOS 8 hits the market.
