Microsoft's HealthVault health-monitoring platform now allows developers to build applications for Windows Phone 7 mobile devices.
Microsoft
has enhanced mobile connectivity for its HealthVault platform by allowing
developers to build applications for the Windows Phone 7 operating system.
HealthVault
is a platform that allows users to manage their medication schedules, record
lab test results and keep track of fitness goals.
Users
can now also see a mobile-optimized view of their HealthVault account on any
smartphone's Web browser. But Windows Phone 7 is the first platform to allow
developers to build specific native HealthVault apps on a mobile phone, Sean
Nolan, chief architect for Microsoft's Health Solutions group, wrote in an
email to eWEEK.
Microsoft
has added libraries for the HealthVault SDK (software developers kit), which
will allow developers to build applications for Windows Phone 7. Redmond plans
to add libraries for Android and the Apple iOS "within weeks,"
following resolution of some legal details involving the open-source nature of
the libraries, Nolan said.
Nolan
wrote about HealthVault's new developments in his
"Family
Health Guy" blog.
For
developers designing applications for HealthVault, Microsoft provides a
HealthVault interfacing library, a getting started guide and a sample
application.
In
addition to adding the libraries, Microsoft has optimized the interface of the
HealthVault portal for clearer viewing on smaller screens, Nolan said. Users
can still view a full non-mobile Web page if they prefer.
On
the smaller screen, Microsoft keeps the interface simple with limited data
types and fields to display essential information such as allergies,
medications and immunizations, Nolan said.
Although
users can view info on the mobile-optimized pages, they'll need to switch to a
standard view on their phones to edit their data, according to Nolan.
One
phone application already designed for Windows Phone 7 is
Akvelon
Health Guard, which allows patients to measure their blood pressure,
glucose and weight.
"The
Windows Phone platform provides rich user experience and tight security, which
help mitigate the ever-increasing privacy concerns among mobile users,"
Akvelon CEO Sergei Dreizin said in a statement.
Meanwhile,
Web-based software provider HealthSaaS has launched an application for
HealthVault on Windows Phone 7 called DiabetesPHR. The program allows patients
to record readings for blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep patterns and weight
as well as track their medications and treatment.
"By
connecting with Microsoft HealthVault, DiabetesPHR plays a key role in helping
patients make their daily health data portable and available to caregivers and
clinicians," Alan Paget, CTO of
HealthSaaS,
said in a statement.
"We
know of a number of applications in process that make creative use of phone
features such as location and acceleration to help capture key health
information-we're really looking forward to seeing these start to pop,"
Nolan said.
Microsoft
had announced plans for mobile applications to be developed on HealthVault back
in February 2009. "You are going to see a number of mobile applications
going live on this platform in the coming weeks and months," Dr. James
Mault, then-director of new products and business development for Microsoft's
Health Solutions group, said at the time, according to
Mobihealthnews.
In
February 2011, Microsoft announced collaboration with the federal government to
allow for exchanging of messages between doctors and patients on HealthVault
using the
Direct
Project, a security standard for developing HIEs (health information
exchanges). Doctors will also be able to exchange messages with each other
regarding patient care.
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