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New app documents moods, activity of patients with depression; syncs with medical records

Researchers from the University of Missouri and Tiger Institute for Health Innovation recently developed a smartphone application that enables individuals with depression to document their moods and symptoms and share it with their psychiatrists.

“Some patients keep a mood diary during their treatment, which can be helpful in assessing their well-being. But I thought that there must be a better way to record moods and activity,” Ganesh Gopalakrishna, MD, of the University of Missouri, said in a press release. “That led to the development of the MoodTrek app, which allows patients to log their moods, sleep patterns and activity levels between appointments. People tend to forget what their moods were like just a few days ago, but through this app, I can now see that data and can use it to provide the best care possible.”

Users of the app can record their moods on a scale of 1 to 5 by selecting emoticons that match their current feelings. The Fitbit activity tracker links to MoodTrek, allowing users to integrate their sleep and exercise activity which is then shared with their health care provider.

Patients of providers who use Cerner-developed electronic medical records can instantly upload data from the app to their medical records, according to the release.

The app allows users to download reports of their mood, sleep and exercise activities and has a journaling feature where users can record notes for psychiatrists.

The app also has a helpline that connects users with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

MoodTrek is available for free on Android devices and is expected to debut on Apple devices in the future.

For more information:

Visit https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cerner.moodtrek to download the app.