My Favorite MS Apps in 2014

With so many people using smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, it is no wonder that there seems to be an “app” for just about anything and everything.

Applications come in many different form and serve a variety of purposes. Not only are there games galore (which are fun if you need to pass some time), there are apps to track activities, apps that are basically miniature websites, apps used to access businesses and services, apps aimed to educate and entertain, as well as apps that connect individuals.

If you search for current apps related to “multiple sclerosis” on iTunes, you will find up to 65 iphone/ipad apps available, approximately 80% of which are free to download. Many of these apps are also available for Android devices in addition to other apps that are only available for Android.

One of the most recent apps I loaded onto my iPad is one developed for the massive ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS conference which was held in Boston, September 10-13, 2014. This was a cool find because once every three years, the separate continental conferences dedicated to MS are combined into one massive event. This year’s joint conference was expected to attract up to 7,000 attendees from 90 countries.

In this 4-part series, I will share with you some of my favorite MS-related applications as well as many new ones I’ve recently discovered. In this post, I focus on conference/meeting apps as well as apps that connect with social networks.

Related Posts in this Series:
MS Apps 2014 - Conferences, Social Media, MS Awareness
MS Apps 2014 - Multiple Sclerosis/Neurology Publications
MS Apps 2014 - Educational, Entertainment, Games
MS Apps 2014 - MS Management, Care Coordination

All of the mobile apps featured are free.

Read this post in its entirety:
Lisa's Favorite MS Apps 2014 - Conferences, Social Media, MS Awareness

A Library of Health Online

When I was a kid growing up (wow, that makes me sound ‘old’), there was no internet full of endless amounts of information.  You had to go to the library if you wanted to thoroughly research a topic; and oftentimes, you needed to go to a several libraries to complete your work.  You might even have your preference as to which library offered the best resources, which one was easiest to use, or which one made the process successful and rewarding. 

With a grandmother who was a nurse, I had a curiosity about all things medical.  It was not really a hypochondria, but an interest in how the body worked or rather didn’t work sometimes.  Fortunately for me, we had medical and health resources right at my fingertips at home found in two very large encyclopedic books.  Each book was 3-4 inches thick and weighed several pounds.  I took the books from the bookcase in our den often and read the material.  For FUN. 

Now, I read medical journal articles.  I search for information regarding different treatment options currently available and those which may become available upon eventual approval by the FDA.  I read blogs.  I compare notes with other patients like myself, discussing various ways we cope with disease.  I compare the information available from the many patient organizations focusing on MS.  I share what I have experienced and what I learn along the way.  I do all of this from the comfort of my own recliner.

I am a voracious consumer of digital health information online.  No libraries needed.

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Navigating the Waters of Online Health Information