55 msfocusmagazine.org In other versions moving forward you’ll see that the accelerometers within the phones will also be leveraged so that we can tell if a person’s quality of movement is ideal or excellent, versus if they’re moving, but not in the way that they usually do. So you’ll see the incorporation of a lot of these other passive metrics in manyof the healthcare applications moving forward and this is something that we have somewhat tapped into very early on in the design of this software platform. MSFocus:These sound like really useful tools. Dr. Okuda: They’re something! The one thing I will say for disclosure is that there is a small charge for the app, and the reason why there is a charge is that we wanted for patients to really value what they were downloading, rather than having people download but not use the resource. So in case people are wondering why there may be a charge, that’s the reason why – and we also use those funds to create different iterations to better the apps that we have. MS Focus: You mentioned earlier about information being stored in the Cloud – that of course will lead many people to think about privacy. What kind of privacy safeguards are there in the app? Dr. Okuda: All of our data are housed with Amazon Web Services and they have one of the best security systems that exist on this planet, which is fantastic. The other safeguard that we did put into place with respect to the app is in regards to the password, so if a user forgets his or her password, the data that are stored within our database system gets wiped. The other aspect, too, is that we don’t necessarily have identifiers like name etc., within the data – so it’s really difficult to pair information that is being provided from patients to the specific identifiers like date of birth and a person’s name or their address. MSFocus:That sounds very secure. So where can people access the app? Dr. Okuda: The app can be accessed both in Google Play, as well as the App Store so if you have an Android device or an iPhone, the app can easily be downloaded within both platforms. Lucy Miranda: I wish I had known about support groups early on in my diagnosis. I felt like I was a captive prisoner in my body. On my own, I had to navigate through this mess despite the many symptoms and trials that came my way and it wasn't easy. I was eventually able to find great online support groups that helped me. I wish I had known at diagnosis that I could have this dream team of MSers who could help me understand this disease. Kim Blount Grunert: Don’t be afraid to change and find good doctors whom you trust to treat you. I had to change my PCP and neurologist. I've acquired an urologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist. I also have my meds reviewed not only by all of them, but also through a pharmacist who my insurance company provides. The second thing is to be gentle with yourself. Taking a nap or a day of rest is as important as exercise and taking medicine. Resting and/or napping is not lazy. It's important. What do you wish you had known about MS when diagnosed?