iPhone application helps cancer patients manage their disease

Cancer patients at Oslo University Hospital have been given access to a new iPhone application designed to help them understand and cope with their disease.

The application, called iOncolex, was developed by The Institute for Medical Informatics at Oslo University Hospital, and offers comprehensive information about different forms of cancer. Information is intended to be easy to understand – the program makes extensive use of text, videos and pictures, and all medical terminology is linked to plain English descriptions.

Currently, iOncolex covers the three most common forms of the disease: lung, prostate and breast cancer. Patients can access information about their disease, prepare for diagnostic procedures, understand their treatment options and see how the disease will affect their lives.

The application takes its information from Oncolex.com, a service that keeps medical professionals in Norway up to date with new cancer diagnostics and treatment. Although this information is only available in Norwegian, iOncolex translates it into English.

“A cancer diagnosis can be a bewildering experience,” says Professor Håvard Danielsen, Head of the Institute for Medical Informatics. “iOncolex speaks to patients in plain English, helping them better understand what their diagnosis means, what the probable treatment options are, and what they can expect going forward.”

The iOncolex application is available from the iPhone store and costs $7.99. The press release can be found here (pdf warning).