A NEW mobile phone app which could help improve the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis has been developed with the help of health professionals and patients in the North-East.

The new SymTrac app helps users to track their MS symptoms over time to build up a valuable picture of their health.

The information recorded can help the patient’s healthcare team ensure that they are fully up-to-date in terms of monitoring any changes in the patient’s condition.

Contributers to the development of the app included Dr Martin Duddy, a consultant neurologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and one of his patients, Sarah Stables, from Appleby, in Cumbria.

SymTrac was developed in response to a UK study which revealed that nearly half of MS patients did not tell their healthcare team they had experienced a relapse, despite the negative effect on their health.

Building up a clear picture of changing symptoms is particularly important for people with MS as this is a long-term fluctuating condition which often includes periods of relapse and remission.

Reporting relapses is the key to making the right decisions about lifestyle changes and treatments.

Stephanie Millward, Team GB Paralympic medal winner, who has MS and features in the introductory video, said: “When you have a long-term condition such as MS, feeling in control of decisions about your health and lifestyle are a priority.”

SymTrac can be downloaded free from itunes.apple.com/gb/app/symtrac/id834920384?mt=8.