Happtique publishes final standards for mobile health app certification to help healthcare providers and consumers identify mhealth apps that deliver credible content.
Happtique, an mHealth solutions company, today announced the publication of the final Standards it will use to certify apps under the Happtique Health App Certification Program (HACP). The HACP will help healthcare providers and consumers easily identify medical, health, and fitness apps that deliver credible content, contain safeguards for user data, and function as described. The final Certification Standards and associated Performance Requirements, which assess operability, privacy, security, and content, can be read at http://www.happtique.com/app-certification/.
Happtique also announce the initial group of Happtique’s Health App Certification Partners – including the Association of American Medical Colleges, CGFNS International, and Intertek – who will evaluate apps against the Certification Standards, based on their respective subject matter expertise.
“The vast sea of mobile health apps—over 40,000 across all platforms—can be overwhelming,” said Ben Chodor, CEO of Happtique. “Healthcare professionals and consumers need third-party certification to verify that the app they are prescribing or downloading delivers credible content, contains safeguards for user data, and functions as described.”
Last year in July, Happtique released a set of draft Certification Standards and associated Performance Requirements that were developed under the direction of a Blue Ribbon Panel with input from many private organizations and representatives of key Federal agencies whom Happtique met with, including: mHIMSS, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). While the final Certification Standards reflect this valuable collective feedback, and input provided during the public comment period, it does not represent their approval or endorsement.
AAMC, CGFNS International, and Intertek have partnered with Happtique to serve as HACP Partners responsible for the evaluation of apps against the Certification Standards.
App evaluation for the Content Standards will be conducted under the auspices of internationally recognized thirty party organizations, including AAMC and CGFNS International, and performed by clinical specialists selected based on the mobile app’s specific subject matter. Happtique will continue to expand its HACP Content Review Partners and is currently in discussions with a number of organizations with various areas of clinical expertise.
- AAMC, represents all 141 accredited U.S. medical schools, nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies, will conduct the content evaluation for apps related to medical education
- CGFNS International, a global authority on credentials evaluation of the education, registration and licensure of nurses, healthcare and other professionals worldwide, will conduct the content evaluation for mobile nursing applications
After an app successfully meets all of the Happtique HACP Standards and associated Performance Requirements, it will be granted Happtique Certification. Certification is valid for a two-year period and is specifically associated with the app version that was submitted for evaluation.
App developers planning to submit their medical, health or fitness app(s) should register for a HACP Submission Form. As soon as Happtique and its Program Partners are ready to accept submissions, registrants will receive a link to the HACP Portal where they can submit their application.
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