The Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) service at Leicester’s Hospitals has launched a new app designed to provide essential support and information for people living with chronic pancreatitis. This life-changing illness can lead to severe symptoms including pain, nutritional issues, and diabetes, often requiring long-term management and care.
The free-to-download app, ‘My Chronic Pancreatitis,’ offers a wide range of resources to help patients better understand and manage their condition. It includes information on managing symptoms, accessing further support, and a series of podcasts featuring expert advice. Users can hear from consultant HPB surgeons, dietitians, pain specialists, clinical psychologists, and diabetes specialist nurses, all of whom offer valuable insights into the condition.
Chronic pancreatitis affects thousands each year, with around 12,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the UK. The app aims to improve patients' quality of life by empowering them with practical, accessible information.
Professor Giuseppe Garcea, Consultant HPB Surgeon and Deputy Medical Director at Leicester's Hospitals, highlighted the app's significance. "We hope that bringing expert advice to their fingertips will help encourage patients to better understand their condition and take a more active role in managing their health.”
The app is the result of two years of development by a dedicated team, including Professor Garcea, Lead HPB Clinical Nurse Specialist Cris Pollard, and Consultant HPB Surgeon Professor Ashley Dennison. The project was developed in collaboration with Andrew Foxwell of AGF Studios.
‘My Chronic Pancreatitis’ is the latest addition to a series of apps produced by Leicester’s HPB service and follows similar apps focused on liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and acute pancreatitis. The app is now available to download for iPhone from the Apple app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-chronic-pancreatitis/id6468663299
For more information, please contact:
communications@uhl-tr.nhs.uk