Happtique in the News

“Happtique, a mobile health solutions company that maintains an online catalog of over 15,000 as-yet-unevaluated health, fitness, and medical apps, has taken on the Herculean task of separating the wheat from the chaff.”

“A new workgroup focusing on patient safety and innovation in health IT will begin meeting next week, and mobile medical applications are sure to be on the agenda.”

“The Department of Health and Human Services has formed a new workgroup, charged with “identifying key considerations to improve patient safety and promote innovation in health information technology (Health IT), including mobile medical applications.”

“Dr. Leslie Kernisan recently wrote a great piece about app prescribing, asking, ‘Should I be prescribing apps, and if so, which ones?’ Since Happtique is all about integrating apps into clinical practice, I jumped at the chance to add to this important discussion.”

“Some hospitals are beginning to develop formulary-like lists of smartphone and tablet applications acceptable for use in clinical settings as more patients and physicians incorporate medical apps into their care regimens. Carolinas HealthCare System, which owns, leases or manages 23 hospitals in North and South Carolina, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, a six-hospital system based in Houston, are both forming “app formularies” that will utilize an app certification program. The program was created by Happtique, a mobile health apps marketplace owned by GNYHA Ventures, the for-profit arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association.”

“…Although many developers are going ahead with their work on creating new mobile apps, those companies such as pharmaceutical manufacturers creating apps that could affect doctors’ decisions and control important medical equipment connected to patients have been impeded by the FDA’s delay, according to Ben Chodor, CEO of mobile health app store Happtique, which launched its own certification program for mobile health apps. Chodor testified in the mobile health hearing on March 19.”

“Ben Chodor, CEO of Happtique, testified that some developers are stalling on potential products due to the uncertainty surrounding the FDA’s plans. ‘They’re not going forward because they’re waiting,’ he said. Committee members speculated that taxes on medical apps might push programmers away from the next greatest health innovation and towards a more lucrative area, such as smartphone games or office software.”

“…Physicians are prescribing apps for patients to manage healthcare, such as counting carbs or glucose monitoring. Happtique is launching a new program for providers to choose, use and rate apps, including some with an orthopedics focus.”

“This week the US House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee is hosting a three-day series of hearings focused mostly on the FDA regulation of mobile medical apps. As of this writing two hearings have taken place, one held by the Communications and Technology subcommittee on Tuesday and another held by the Health subcommittee on Wednesday, but what could be the main event is set to take place early Thursday morning as representatives from ONC and FDA face questions from Congress.”

“I do think Ben Chodor has the right idea with Happtique’s certification program for mobile health apps, a program he painstakingly developed in the past year with help from medical societies, health care professionals, medical societies and regulatory agencies, including the FDA, Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. It is more like an accreditation pathway that hospitals can sign up for and theoretically would give some additional credibility to developers.”

“…Benjamin Chodor, chief executive officer for Happtique Inc., a mobile solutions company, agreed that any taxation of mobile devices would be passed down to consumers and damage the industry’s promise of providing inexpensive personal health tools but noted that nearly all consumer mobile devices would not be subject to the medical device tax…”

“…Ben Chodor, the CEO of Happtique, which certifies health care apps, testified that some doctors and companies could be reluctant to develop or release apps until they see final guidelines. ‘They’re not going forward because they’re waiting,’ he said.”

“…Two years later, developers and investors are still ‘waiting on the sidelines’ for an official decision, said Ben Chodor, the CEO of health app store Happtique, who called me after testifying in House Energy and Commerce committee yesterday.”

“In a hearing today by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on the regulation of the mobile health (mHealth) application market, Benjamin M. Chodor, Chief Executive Officer of Happtique, Inc., addressed questions relating to the regulation of the rapidly-growing mobile health market[...]”

“…Benjamin Chodor, CEO of New York-based mHealth provider Happtique, testified that his company does not believe the medical device excise tax should apply to any phones, tablets or mHealth apps. ‘Any application of the tax to these products would be beyond what Congress intended and would serve to slow innovation by placing burdensome costs on apps developers in a new and growing market,’ stated Chodor.”

“…Chodor advised the FDA to clarify that apps sold in a consumer environment, like an App Store, will not come under regulation. The vast majority of health apps fall into this category (only about 15 or 20 percent of all apps are for clinical use.) He explained that FDA approval should only be necessary if the app is intended for physician use to make decisions about your health. ‘The FDA is in the best position to regulate that subset of apps,’ he said.”

“…Ben Chodor, CEO of mHealth solutions company Happtique, testified at today’s hearing about the future of mobile health and the government’s role in regulating and taxing them. Happtique recently published the standards for certification for mobile apps. Chodor articulated his support for a continued FDA role in the regulation of mobile health technology but opposes medical device tax on mobile devices and mobile health applications.”

“…Ben Chodor, CEO of Happtique, a mobile health apps marketplace owned by GNYHA Ventures, the for-profit arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association, is expected to testify at Tuesday’s hearing. In his prepared remarks, Chodor said the company developed a health app certification program because it expects a large segment of the health app market to fall outside of FDA oversight.”

“…Both needs have been met by a single organization, Happtique, founded in 2010 by the business arm within the Greater New York Hospital Association. Happtique made news in August 2012 when it launched mRx, an ‘iTunes for Mobile Health’ from which physicians could find and distribute—essentially prescribe like a formulary—apps for their patients…”

“…During a Q&A session, she was asked about Happtique, the New York-based app store that recently unveiled a standards program for apps. Jacobs said Happtique’s program, set to launch this spring, may very well be like the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology’s EHR certification program. When asked if mHealth regulations might be too strict, and therefore serve to stifle innovation, she said the federal government is trying to take a broad-based approach so that it doesn’t hinder creativity…”

“New York-based mobile healthcare provider Happtique has published final standards for its mHealth application certification program that the company hopes will serve as a ‘good housekeeping seal of approval,’ giving medical professionals and consumers confidence that certified apps live up to their billing, according to the company’s announcement.”

“…Happtique aims to benchmark apps within the healthcare industry and remove ‘anything goes’ mentality that currently exists. There is such a vast number of apps on the market leading consumers and hospitals in doubt over which ones to use. Until now there has been no official help or certification…”

“On Wednesday, Happtique — a mobile health applications store and evaluation service — released its final standards for testing and certifying mobile health apps, mHIMSS reports…”

“…To help give hospitals and health care providers more clarity around the good, bad and ugly in mobile health apps, New York-based Happtique has been working on a certification program for mobile apps and on Wednesday plans to release its final set of standards…”

“Envisioning a day when physicians prescribing health and medical apps is commonplace and, more significantly, in the absence of any formal review process, a private company has published certification standards and announced review boards to help hospitals and consumers cut through the crowded medical, health and fitness app market.”

“Happtique, the for-profit mobile healthcare applications marketplace developed by GNYHA Ventures, the group purchasing arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association, has released its first set of testing and certification criteria for mobile healthcare apps, the company has announced.”

“Mobile app developers, healthcare providers and consumers looking for an independent resource to certify medical, health and wellness apps may have finally gotten their wish. Happtique, the New York-based developer of mHealth solutions, today unveiled the final draft of standards that will be used to certify apps through the Happtique Health App Certification Program. Those standards, which had been fine-tuned since their draft release last June, will be used by select organizations designated as HACP partners to assess operability, privacy, security and content.”

“Happtique has been spending a lot of effort cataloging all the health, clinical and fitness apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play and more. Their goal is to create prescribable apps, and proprietary app stores for providers. The idea is that a hospital or clinic can help its physicians suggest the right apps to patients by giving them a select group to choose from, and by having them cataloged in a way that is far more detailed than Apple or Android can do.”

“Anyone looking to lose weight, monitor their blood sugar or keep track of a health condition using a smartphone doesn’t have to search long in the mobile app market. Choices abound. Finding a health app that has real value is a different story.[...]”