The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi has launched an Android app on Wednesday to provide easy access to information about liver diseases. The application, called iLap, was released by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on the fifth foundation day of ILBS, an autonomous body set up by the government of Delhi.
The Android app that has been developed by Iridium Interactive, a company providing business solutions in healthcare, is freely available on Google's Play Store. Later, it will be converted into an interactive app through which patients will be able to get advice from doctors of the institute.
"It will help the patient in diagnosis of liver diseases, will provide information on the causes of liver disease and answer doubts in a patient’s mind regarding liver transplantation," said Kapil D Jamwal, assistant professor, ILBS. The move to upgrade the app into an interactive one is expected to benefit many individual patients. "Patients will have to fill a form giving details of symptoms and treatment. Our team will give them advice and send alerts about important dates, added Jamwal.
According to him, the purpose of the interactive app is to provide the patients and their families with information regarding the disease, help them to follow up with the out patient department (OPD) and keep them posted about the medical tests that need to be done. “Doctors at ILBS will be given a constant feedback about the treatment, thus providing a personalised touch and care," added the ILBS expert. The services of the app can be availed even without being a patient at ILBS. The upgraded interactive app is expected to be available in a month's time.
How to use the app:
In an Andriod phone, one has to go to the icon of Play Store. The first link after typing iLap in search is the app which is to be installed. It gives four options— diagnosis, causes, liver transplantation and about liver diseases.