We are delighted that ORCHA has a chapter in SEHTA’s ‘2019 Accessing the NHS Guide for SMEs: Moving Forward’. The guide is SEHTA’s second Accessing the NHS Guide, which gives advice, understanding and knowledge to health technology SMEs wanting to access the NHS.

Dr David Parry, CEO of SEHTA, says, “The SEHTA team and its partner Hill Dickinson are very proud of this guide. We believe it is unique in providing a readable, informative and comprehensive document to help companies with their aspirations to sell to the NHS.”

ORCHA’s chapter focusses on our work in ‘Digital Health (Apps) & Accreditation’. ORCHA’s CEO, Liz Ashall-Payne, discusses the way in which our app Review Process ensures that new digital health technologies meet appropriate safety and usability standards. Ashall-Payne also explains ORCHA’s work with NHS Digital, in that we support NHS Digital’s Digital Assessment ‘DAQ’ process, thereby aiding the creation and development of an NHS Apps Library.

Click here for your copy of the guide and learn more about how to access the NHS as an SME.

As the World’s leading health app advisor organisation, we help health and social care organisations to choose and prescribe health apps that will safely and securely make the biggest impact. Our objective reviews evaluate more than 180 aspects of an app, spanning clinical effectiveness, data privacy and user experience, enabling us to give each app an overall score.

Now, to help health professionals and users spot apps that exceed our 65% quality threshold, we’ve created a badge. It represents a huge achievement, and will help people to quickly and easily recognise the apps that have a good performance level across our criteria. Look out for these badges and then read our review to get the full picture. You can read more about the ORCHA Review process here.

Suicide is the biggest killer of under 35s in the UK, making charities like Papyrus vitally important. Papyrus is a national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. ORCHA has provided Papyrus with their own digital microsite, an online platform that helps young people to manage their mental health.

Papyrus want young people to be able to access information to support them with their suicidal thoughts, and use apps that are safe and secure. Without access to ORCHA’s App Library via Papyrus’ microsite, young people are at risk of downloading apps that could have a negative impact on their health or encourage suicidal behaviour. ORCHA reviews apps according to their clinical effectiveness, data privacy and user experience, ensuring that users will be able to distinguish between safe and unsafe apps, unlike on unregulated app stores.

Watch our video above, where Papyrus discusses how ORCHA’s provision of a digital health tool allows their advisors to recommend apps to the young people directly, thereby providing vulnerable young people with access to safe resources to help manage their health.

Want to find the best pregnancy apps but don’t know where to start?

With so much to keep track of, learn and prepare when expecting a baby, it can be hard to find the time for all your usual day-to-day commitments, never mind research the most effective apps to help you and your baby. That’s where ORCHA steps in as your trusted health app guide.

How do I know which pregnancy app is the best when there are thousands to choose from?

ORCHA has reviewed hundreds of pregnancy apps so that you can find the safest and most effective. Each app’s ORCHA Score provides a clear way of seeing which pregnancy apps are the best. Whether you’re looking for a pregnancy test app, pregnancy tracker app, the best fertility app, or week by week pregnancy app, ORCHA finds the best ones so you don’t have to, whilst still giving you a wide variety of apps to choose from.

What are the best pregnancy apps on ORCHA’s App Finder?

There are many high scoring pregnancy apps on our App Library which can be useful before, during and after your pregnancy. Whilst these apps can never replace professional medical advice, they can be a useful addition as a quick and easy way of tracking fertility and pregnancy. Here, we explore six of the best pregnancy apps reviewed by ORCHA:

• Mum & Baby – Developed in partnership between families and maternity staff from NHS trusts in North West London, Mum & Baby can provide support from the start of pregnancy to early parenthood. The app allows you to understand your choices for maternity care in North West London, access information for all stages of your maternity journey, and make personalised plans for your care during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Mum & Baby achieved an ORCHA Score of 86% on Android, making it the highest scoring pregnancy app on our App Library.
• Baby Buddy – Designed with parents and health professionals, Baby Buddy provides personal baby support in the form of a pregnancy and parenting app. It is a virtual friend that provides video resources, personalised ‘Daily Information’, and allows you to track the progress of your pregnancy and child. Baby Buddy achieved an ORCHA Score of 84% on iOS and 83% on Android.
• Natural Cycles – Birth Control – This app can be used as a fertility tracker, or, in the USA and Europe only, as a method of birth control. Natural Cycles uses a smart algorithm to learn your cycle and identify your ovulation by analysing your basal body temperature. Backed by scientific research, the app is the first digital method of birth control available in both the USA and Europe. Natural Cycles achieved an ORCHA Score of 84% on both iOS and Android.
• Ovia Pregnancy Tracker – Ovia Pregnancy Tracker allows you to track your baby’s development and your own wellbeing as your pregnancy progresses. It includes a customisable health tracker, a calendar for organisation, a community of mums and expectant mums, and over 2000 pregnancy articles and tips to help you. The app achieved an ORCHA Score of 79% on iOS.
• Glow Nurture – Pregnancy App – Glow Nurture is a pregnancy tracker app in which you can log your symptoms on a daily basis, as well as receiving reminders for appointments and medication. It also includes a trimester-specific pregnancy tracker which changes as your pregnancy moves to the next stage. Further, the app provides postpartum and miscarriage support. Glow Nurture achieved an ORCHA Score of 73% on iOS.
• Breast Start – This app provides evidence-based information from NHS professionals about all aspects of breastfeeding. It also allows you to find support locally and nationally, including giving advice on local breastfeeding-friendly places. Breast Start achieved an ORCHA Score of 71% on Android.

Due to our continual re-review process, all app scores are subject to change. As such, we’d always encourage you to view our app reviews on our App Library, as this reflects Live data and app updates which are continuously changing. Our re-review process ensures that the most up-to-date information for the latest version of an app can be accessed via our App Library.