How does the notification of a care requirement via the ALS app work?

The ALS app is connected to the APST care network. This means that messages about care needs are sent to the coordinators of APST. They are in direct contact with ALS pharmacies, assistive technology experts and nutrition and respiratory teams. The care requirements reported by patients are first checked by the coordinators and then forwarded to the relevant providers after consultation with the patients. There, the needs are clarified in detail and, if necessary, tested, particularly in the case of assistive devices. The attending physician is then contacted in order to obtain agreement and consent for treatment. The doctor’s decision remains a central component of medical treatment – even if the need is communicated via the ALS app.

In the case of assistive devices, the need can be reported directly via a directory in the ALS app, which contains over 350 ALS-specific assistive devices. These can be selected with a click, provided with a comment and sent directly to the outpatient coordinators. For medication, the app offers several options for reporting requirements: a message field for advice on ALS medication, a request field for follow-up prescriptions and a separate function for redeeming e-prescriptions.

A special feature of the ALS app is the automatic transmission of care recommendations to coordinators or patients. These recommendations are generated by an algorithm based on the answers to the ALS functional scale. The recommendations are displayed in the ALS app and can be accepted or rejected by the patient. The ALS app also offers a chat function that patients can use to contact outpatient partners directly. Alternatively, care needs can also be communicated in the conventional way – by email or by using the app’s telephone function.