Crohn’s and Colitis Canada innovation aims to improve the lives of those living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of its commitment to improve quality of life for the more than quarter-million Canadians living with inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is pleased to launch MyGut: a first-of-its kind app designed to help patients take control of their health and wellness.
“As a patient-centred organization, we remain committed to improving the lives of everyone living with Crohn’s or colitis while we continue to chart the course towards cures,” said Mina Mawani, president and CEO, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. “We developed MyGut to provide patients with a convenient and practical tool that helps them become more involved in decisions about their care, and in turn helps them to facilitate conversations with their healthcare providers.”
The app’s design and featured components derive from discussions with members of the patient community, caregivers and healthcare providers to ensure an experience that aligns with patients’ needs and interests.
Available for iOS and Android, MyGut features a personalized dashboard with curated educational content based on a patient’s own unique needs and interests. The app creates an all-encompassing picture of a patient’s journey with Crohn’s or colitis as they track symptoms and activities on a daily basis. The app also provides a means to capture and share information with healthcare providers, helping patients manage their health and wellness on a daily basis, between clinic appointments.
“There isn’t any other app that offers this level of support. Being able to track my symptoms and daily activities provides a better understanding of how I have been feeling and what a normal day looks like. I wish an app like this existed when I was diagnosed, as it would have helped me better manage my disease earlier,” said Jordan LoMonaco, a business intelligence analyst in Toronto who has lived with ulcerative colitis for six years. “MyGut offers a range of educational resources, too. Whether you’re looking to learn about the disease as you’re newly diagnosed or have questions about specific topics, the app arms you with a wealth of knowledge.”
A scalable support system
The MyGut app, provided by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, is secure, scalable and poised to connect patients and organizations around the world, helping to further research and insight into these burdensome diseases.
“We created this app to continuously evolve based on patient needs,” said Mawani. “This is adaptable technology at its very best. As we move forward, we’ll continue to listen closely to our community to identify how we can expand and refine the app’s components.”
MyGut will become incorporated into the Promoting Access and Care through Centres of Excellence (PACE) program, one of the largest clinical research programs for Crohn’s and colitis in Canada.
“We look forward to piloting MyGut in PACE IBD Centres of Excellence located throughout Canada,” says Dr. Neeraj Narula, the co-lead of a PACE project based out of McMaster University. “The app has strong potential to further improve quality of care for patients living with these diseases.”
To learn more about the MyGut app, visit crohnsandcolitis.ca/MyGut.
About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is the only national, volunteer-based charity focused on finding the cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the lives of everyone impacted by these diseases. We are the world’s second largest health charity funder of Crohn’s and colitis research, and our patient programs and advocacy efforts support the people affected by these chronic autoimmune diseases, which cause the body to attack healthy tissue, leading to the inflammation of all or part of the gastrointestinal tract. Visit crohnsandcolitis.ca for more information.
For more information, please contact:
Stacey Sheehan
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
416-920-5035 ext. 243
ssheehan@crohnandcolitis.ca
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