Smartphone app can improve quality of life for healthcare workers

An app developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham has been found to be the first and therefore the most promising to date for improving quality of life for healthcare workers. Led by Professor Edmund Rolls from the Centre for Creative Computing the app uses part of the brain the thalamus to deliver a therapy to alleviate pain blanching fever fatigue and anxiety.

The app that claims it can reduce treatment response times by up to 90 is called SteadPlay. Below is a summary of the apps benefits:-Increased recovery time for staff-Reduced fatigue-Increased body awareness of pain-Increased levels of dopamine-as the app shows user what to do-Improved quality of life for staff-Increased physical and mental stamina-The app also has been tested on a Paralympics pitch match with over 50 people affected by disability which is proving its effectiveness.

The app was developed with support from the Universitys Engineering and Design Facilities based in collaboration with internationally renowned expert Dr. Alan Stephenson a specialist in Human-Computer Interaction and Periphery for Cancer Research from the University of Birmingham.

Dr. Stephenson has been awarded a Defender of the Year Award in healthcare with the team of Wilms Cancer Unit of Birmingham. The team in collaboration with human and computer scientists was transferred to the University to test the effectiveness of this grate in the app. Isolated with the patient and wearing a device monitor the patient responds and experiences a pleasurable experience which includes the sensation of pure euphoria.

The app which was developed for staff using a fully human-informative approach is designed to help reduce fatigue self-neglect and burnout. The main form of exercise practised in deliberate techniques is both self-harm and sports-based leisure-time physical activity.

The app does not default to the normal form of tapping pushing and stretching but provides alternatives for training or improving skills in the workplace.

For the first time SteadPlay establishes itself as a tool for health-care workers. This enables some 10000 workers to have more meaningful support cut out for frequently effected patients.

At a time when healthcare workers are constantly being redeployed to help frontline workers this innovative app could quickly increase universities buffer from sustained use of technology. It could pave the way for real-time computer enabled on site teaching and staff training as well as new forms of self-care for people experiencing health or caregiving issues.

Patients and key stakeholders from university Hospitals Birmingham Teaching Hospitals NHS Trusts and the University Hospitals Birmingham Research Focused Stage 1 Clinical Trials are to have access enabling the application of novel self-management techniques on a large scale. The app and the software integration such as giving staff estimates are to be over by mid year.