INTRODUCTION:

Technology continues to be invented or improved upon and nurses are expected to stay abreast of new developments and maintain competence in the utilization of these technologic tools. Scientist John Morris at Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centre (RERC) and Tracey Wallace speech language specialist at Shepherd center, United States of America highlighted a variety of practice guidelines and techniques that use various mobile applications for memory management in individuals recovering from brain injury¹.

The Mobile App programs are designed to treat specific conditions, such disorders of consciousness (when a person is in a minimally conscious state following brain injury) and specific age groups, such as adolescent program. Shepherd Center speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists have compiled a list of recommend mobile apps for memory aids, home management, medical management, education and brain exercise.

They have used these apps with brain injury and stroke patients as part of their inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs at Shepherd Center². Some of the most popular free and paid apps are available for both Google and Apple devices.

Within a framework of nursing as caring, true technologic competence in clinical nursing practice can be understood as an expression of caring and thus it is the need of the hour for the nursing professionals to know about the Mobile Apps as a part of brain injury rehabilitation for a better service.

MOBILE APPLICATIONS:

The goal of intervention in brain injury rehabilitation is to achieve the highest level of independent function of the individuals to involve in daily living activities. Mobile phones are of with variety of applications and one such application is games, available for all the age groups. And these games are identified by the Brain Line team and well sorted through many resources to compile the apps for people with a brain injury, their families and caregivers. Some of these apps have proven to be especially helpful for people with brain injury.

The Free Mobile Applications are

S. no	Apps	Description	Device	Benefits
1	Speak write recorder	Voice recorder that turns phone into a fully functional dictation system. Record, edit, and send audio.	Android	Speech Communication
2	Tap2Talk	Alternative means of communication app. Push pictures of items to have a voice speak		Speech Communication
3	Hello my name is	Use your fingers to write or draw your own personalized "hello my name is" name tag. Good for conferences or situations where a digital name tag may help you stand out.		Social Situations
4	Learning Ally Audio	Designed for people with print and learning disabilities.	iOS, Android	Reading, Vision
5	Audible	Listening to books on mobile device. Great for people who have trouble reading or who retain information more effectively by listening.	iOS, Android	Reading
6	Lumosity	Brain exercises targeting memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving. Can design personalized training, including "courses" with TBI and/or PTSD.	iOS ,Web	Brain Training
7	Word Wrap	Game can create as many words as possible from a selection of letters.	iOS ,Web	Brain Training
8	Dragon dictation	Voice recognition app that allows users to easily speak and instantly see their words on the screen. Send short text messages, longer email messages, and update Facebook and Twitter statuses without typing a word.	iOS	Communication
10	Pocket SACT 2	This application is designed to be used in a field setting by professionals or parents to help identify possible concussions.	iOS	Concussion Screening Concussion Screening
11	Concussion, Recognition and Response	Helps professionals and parents to recognize whether an individual is exhibiting/reporting the signs and symptoms of a suspected concussion. In less than 5 minutes, the app allows a professional or parent to respond quickly to determine whether to remove the child from play and the need for further medical examination.	iOS Android	Concussion Screening Concussion Screening
12	Dial Safe Pro	Helps to learn proper phone usage and safety with an app that allows for hands-on practice by animated lessons, skill building games, practice sessions, and a realistic phone simulator.	iOS	Life-Skills
13	Where Am I?	Helps to view and share location, including city, pin code, telephone area code, and approximate street address as well as the times of sunrise and sunset and GPS latitude and longitude.	Android	Location
14	Awesome Memory	Card game to improve memory. All of the cards are laid face down on a surface and players take turns flipping two cards face up. The object of the game is to reveal pairs of matching cards. Similar to the traditional game of "concentration."	iPad	Memory
15	Penultimate	Handwriting app that helps to get the fast, tactile gratification of writing on paper, with digital power and flexibility.	iPad	Memory, Organization
16	Find My iPhone	Tracks wireless devices and enables to track where the devices are, where they have been, and enables to send warning messages or tones to those devices.	iOS	Memory, Location Monitoring
17	Evernote	Helps to remember everything across all of the devices usage and to stay organized, save ideas and improve productivity.	iOS, Web ,Android	Organization
18	iMazing	Skill-based maze game helps to find way through a challenging maze.	iOS Web, Android	Problem Solving Problem Solving
19	Mattrix Game	Helps to develop visual perception skills, attention and concentration, spatial orientation and principles of classification and categorization.	iOS Web, Android	Problem Solving Problem Solving
20	T2 Mood Tracker	Designed for service members and veterans, this app helps you self-monitor, track, and reference emotional experiences associated with common deployment-related behavioral health issues like post-traumatic stress, brain injury, depression, and anxiety.	iOS	PTSDand Behavior

The phone can be used to remind about the upcoming appointment or to take medication, or it can be used like a traditional paper notebook to keep the addresses, telephone numbers. Some of the online free Apps are listed below for the benefits of the brain injury individuals as a part of brain injury rehabilitation³.

CONCLUSION:

Technology is always changing and almost every day, new mobile device applications (“apps”) are released and it is the individuals concern to download the necessary apps and to use it wisely. Nurses also need to be on track in relation to the newer technology for the better use of the resources in patient care.

REFERENCE:

1. www. brain line org. preventing, treating and living with Traumatic Brain Injury for professionals, updated Jan, 16^th 2014.

2. A booklet about traumatic brain injury (TBI), or head injury, prepared by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 2014

3. Summary of a workshop, Clinical Trials in Head Injury, held May 12 and 13, 2000

Received on 26.10.2015 Modified on 06.11.2015

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research 4(1): Jan.-Mar., 2016; Page 83-84

DOI: 10.5958/2454-2660.2016.00018.1