My Iron Manager – the App for people with haemochromatosis
New technology is now available to support people with haemochromatosis who regularly need to manage iron levels in their body to remain healthy.
Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition passed down in Northern European bloodlines (especially Celtic and Viking) that affects 1 in 200 Australians who retain too much iron from food. It is opposite to being anaemic, which is too little iron.
While haemochromatosis is easily treated to prevent excess iron damaging body tissue and organs, it is not always easy for people to find places to take blood and keep track of treatment records.
Haemochromatosis Australia spokesman Tony Moorhead said the new app My Iron Manager has been developed to streamline individual management of the condition and as a central repository for information.
“While the Australian Red Cross Blood Bank is usually the first port of call for people to remove iron by donating blood that can then be used to save lives, sometimes this option is not available,” Mr Moorhead said.
“The App will provide a boon for people by providing a simple-to-use directory of venesection (blood removal) options in their local area.”
In addition to finding places to have blood taken, the app also enables people to check requirements and costs, record blood test results, track treatment history, manage appointments and find out more about the condition.
Haemochromatosis is passed down through families and requires both parents to be carriers for their child to inherit the condition. People diagnosed with the genetic risk of iron overload need life-long monitoring of their iron levels and treatment by venesection when required. It can be easily treated but never cured.
The App will streamline the recording of blood tests and treatment options throughout life, with patients even able to download their history and provide to different medical practitioners along the way.
“All personal data is stored locally on the phone so there is no danger of online hackers compromising a centralised store of records. Privacy and security were important considerations during development of the app,” Mr Moorhead said.
The My Iron Manager App was officially launched by Dr Katie Allen, MP for Higgins, on 24 August 2019 at an event at Docklands in Melbourne.
The free App is available for both Apple and Android Devices.
For information about the App visit the My Iron Manager page on our website.