US mobile health app store Happtique has launched a pilot programme that enables doctors and other health practitioners to electronically prescribe medical, health and fitness apps to their patients. The trial of the company’s mRx service is part of its strategy to persuade health professionals to adopt apps in their clinical practice.

Happtique talked about the new service and the issues around app adoption by the medical profession in a recent blog CEO Ben Chodor wrote for Mobile Health Live. “In the near future, Happtique envisions physicians creating their own app formularies based on their specialities and patients’ needs,” wrote Chodor.

In the meantime Happtique most overcome some scepticism in the medical community about recommending apps to patients, as discovered by a recent PwC study.

More immediately the current pilot will focus on cardiology, rheumatology, endocrinology, orthopedics, physical therapy, and fitness training. Happtique says for each field it consulted a specialist and reviewed relevant websites in order to draw up a sample list of the most suitable apps. In addition to doctors, the pilot is open to other health practitioners including nurses, dieticians, therapists and social workers.

The company says the object of its pilot is to test the usability of its new service and whether it satisfies users, including patients as well as health practitioners. The pilot will track the number of apps prescribed and which patients fill their prescriptions. But it will not measure clinical outcome.