First aid mobile apps : Epilepsy Society

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Epilepsy guide - iphone app

Epilepsy Society smartphone apps for iPhone and Android

We have developed a new app for epilepsy enabling people with the condition to manage and improve their own health via their phone. The epilepsy smartphone app contains seizure management tools, including a seizure diary, as well as vital first aid information and is now available on both iPhone and Android phones.

The app has been downloaded by thousands of people worldwide and is proving to be an essential tool. Mum, Julia McMullen, tweeted “The best thing I ever did was download the app and my beautiful girl proves that.” Read about Julia's story in our article, iphone app helps save little Carys's life.

What is an 'app'?

‘App’ is short for an application used on a smartphone such as the Android or iPhone. A smartphone differs from a normal mobile phone in that while it allows you to make calls in the same way, it has additional features such as the ability to send and receive emails, connect to the internet and download apps.

An app allows you to customise your phone to your own specific needs. The choice of apps is diverse ranging from computer games and social networking groups such as Facebook to a digital spirit level. And of course there’s the app for epilepsy. Users will sometimes pay a small fee to download an app but many are completely free. You cannot download apps to a normal mobile phone.

App features

Using the latest technology, it offers:

An interactive seizure diary – this allows you to record the time of your seizures, type and length of seizure, and add any comments.
My seizures – this enables you to record in detail the sort of seizures you experience and give each type a code which can be used in your seizure diary.
Medication information – including the importance of taking your anti-epileptic drugs on a regular basis and what to do if your GP prescribes a drug which looks different to your usual one.
Managing epilepsy – information that will help you understand the condition and how best to manage it. For example, how to get the best from appointments with your GP or neurologist.
Facts about seizures – an overview of the different types of seizures.
When to dial 999 – if a person has an epileptic seizure it is not usually necessary to call an ambulance, but this highlights occasions when you should dial 999.
Recovery guide – a visual aid to putting someone in the recovery position.