App developed by Vancouver GP helps patients keep track of medical information

May 9, 2016

MeKeeperHealth issues requiring patients to visit multiple doctors can be challenging for everyone involved. Patients often find themselves relaying information they don’t fully understand between their GP and their specialist, who may not have the most up-to-date information on patients’ medication changes, recent test results, etc. Launched in 2015, the MeKeeper mobile app aims to help remedy this. Inspired by stories from patients and his own experiences as a GP, Dr Eric Cadesky – a full-service family doctor, Vancouver Division of Family Practice member, and Doctors of BC Board member – decided he wanted to make everyone’s lives easier.

Cadesky, a clinical faculty member at the University of British Columbia and medical director of the Louis Brier Home and Hospital, collaborated with three other developers to create MeKeeper, a personal health app that enables patients to record their medical history (i.e., conditions, medications, side effects, allergies, immunizations, lab results, and health care practitioners) in one place to ensure that clearly documented information is always readily accessible to patients and their doctors. The interface was designed through qualitative research at Emily Carr University of Art and Design with a focus on ease of use for people with no medical background.

A substantial part of the funding for development of the MeKeeper app came from the Vancouver Division of Family Practice’s Doctor’s Den initiative, which provides a forum for the Division’s members to pitch small projects they think would benefit other members and the primary care system. For information on Doctors’ Den, visit www.divisionsbc.ca/vancouver/doctorsden.

A great example of local innovation helping on an international level, MeKeeper is currently in use by hundreds of users in North America, South America, and Asia. 

MeKeeper is a free app on the Android platform and an iOS version is in development. To download the app, or for more information, visit www.mekeeper.ca.