Apps present a fantastic opportunity to provide us with valuable mental health and general health information which can help us not only improve the quality of our healthcare, but also help us to live healthier lives. The market is awash with apps, though, and we have no ability to see whether what is being downloaded will actually improve our health or if our personal data will be stored safely.

The CCGs for Bradford, Craven, Wharfedale and Airedale are very concerned about ensuring that our patients are using the best apps available – whether this is for self-care or using the app as part of the therapy process.

For this reason, we have partnered up with ORCHA (the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications https://www.orcha.co.uk/) to provide this site for our clinicians and patients to use as a resource, to solve just this problem, and provide accurate impartial information along three main strands: user experience, clinical effectiveness (i.e. how well it works) and data security (because we take very seriously the security of our clients’ data).

ORCHA carry out independent and impartial reviews of health and care related apps, and you’ll see that the resultant information is clearly presented for us throughout this website. We can be reassured that any apps shown on this site have undergone a rigorous review process, and can feel confident as we choose the best app for us.

By bringing this information to our fingertips, it’s now possible to identify and compare the best apps for our needs – and to ensure that we, and our friends and families, can get access to quality assured apps that meet a standard that clinicians are comfortable with.

What’s next?

We’re also working to bring other digital tools to our communities, so if you currently suffer from Diabetes or COPD and live in Bradford, speak to your healthcare professionals about options available for you.

Click on the link to visit the Bradford and Craven Orcha website.