New Nile App Seeks to Help People Manage Their Healthcare
The Epilepsy Foundation has launched a free mobile app called Nile as a self-management healthcare tool to help people with epilepsy, including those with disorders such as Dravet syndrome.
It replaces the foundation’s My Seizure Diary application, which for 15 years has helped patients to monitor and track seizures, and manage their medication and other therapies.
The new app is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and may be downloaded through Google Play or the Mac App Store. Right now, only U.S. physicians can access the application’s healthcare provider portal.
Those who have used My Seizure Diary, which the foundation created in 2007, can safely transfer all logged data. Imports must be done by April 30, when My Seizure Diary will be taken offline. More than 65,000 patients, caregivers, and clinicians ultimately adopted the application.
“The Epilepsy Foundation has been supporting its patient, clinician, and research community with My Seizure Diary for the past 15 years and is proud of all that it has achieved,” the foundation stated. “Today, there’s a new diary app, Nile, to continue supporting the large epilepsy community of electronic diary users.”
Touted as the first app designed to support patients between doctor visits, Nile allows patients or their caregivers to easily log auras, seizures, and treatment side effects; track medication usage and receive reminders; receive customized content that pertains to symptoms; and leave doctor visit details to the app, which uses machine learning to help physicians quickly determine the best treatment for each patient.
The new app also allows physicians who use Nile to gain real-time access to everything logged, set alerts for when the patient should contact their healthcare team, and input and update medication schedules.
“Whether you’re newly diagnosed or well into your epilepsy journey, doctors need accurate information about your medication adherence, seizures, and symptoms,” the foundation stated. “Having epilepsy may impact your memory. How often have you forgotten to bring something up in front of your doctor? That can change now.”
Nile analyzes patient seizures, medications, and treatment side effects, compiling health patterns for physician review. If a new medication is prescribed, that information is inputted into Nile, along with usage instructions.
Patients should consider Nile as their “personal health assistant” to help them stay on track.
“Nile knows consistency is key,” the foundation stated. “If you don’t follow your medication regimen, or fail to record your events, seizures, and side effects, you’re losing valuable time. It’s not about the doctor appointment. It’s about what you do in between.”
For more information or help with technical issues, send an email to [email protected] or call 818-208-5975 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET.
Dravet syndrome is thought to affect 1 in every 15,700 U.S. residents. It’s a type of epilepsy that’s characterized by episodes of prolonged seizures that begin in the first year of life.
About the Author
