The COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly accelerated the adoption of digital health. Apps can play a key role in the way health and care services are delivered to patients, in supporting people to self-manage their health and wellbeing.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in the number of people dying at home compared to previous years. Clinicians are concerned that this is due to people staying away from NHS services and as a result of the deprioritisation of non-coronavirus services. To address this problem, especially as we move from being focused on crisis management, into also providing longer-term help for the vulnerable, apps will be pivotal in offering accessible support and resources.

Indeed, in the past two days alone, ORCHA has seen a 600% increase in usage of ORCHA App Libraries, used in 50% of NHS regions. Two weeks ago, the most popular search term was "COVID," whereas, now, the most searched for terms are "fitness," "mental health" and then "sleep." This shift indicates that people are actively looking for ways to better manage their health and wellbeing during lockdown.

Source: www.mobihealthnews.com