The Case for Change: Mobile Apps Expand the Universe for Consumer Health Information

Background:  The mission of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population.  Scientific research in this area is important because of the known and potential benefits of dietary supplements in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. 

Program background:  Although vitamin and mineral supplements have been available for decades, their health effects have been studied using modern scientific techniques only within the last 15 to 20 years.  In the United States, dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and other products that are available without prescription and are consumed in addition to the regular diet.  

Evaluation Methods and Results: One of the strategic goals of ODS is to make the most up-to-date scientific knowledge about dietary supplements publicly available.  A strategy that ODS employs to achieve this goal is to expand information available to the public on dietary supplements for promoting wellness.

Conclusions: Recognizing the growth of the iPhone as a content and dissemination channel, ODS has developed the requirements for, and is considering the implementation of, a pilot mobile application (app) for consumers and health providers.  The app will initially target the iPhone because today it commands the largest portion of the mobile app marketplace.  However, ODS will implement the app in a way that makes it possible to support other mobile devices such as BlackBerry, Android, and Symbian.  The mobile application offers ODS the possibility of bringing its science-based information to consumers

Implications for research and/or practice:  The ODS mobile app will include general information about ODS and consumer-focused information about dietary supplements.  The app will include a Dietary Supplement Tracker for consumers to keep a record on their mobile devices of the dietary supplements, over-the-counter products, and prescription medications they or their family members are taking.  Using the tracker can make this information more complete, accurate, and readily available to share with health care providers and available to consumers when they need it.  Initially, the ODS mobile app will be made available through the Apple AppStore.