A new mobile app called Glow, available for free in the Apple Store, enables couples to use reproductive science to enhance their chances of getting pregnant, according to the Glow website.

Time Magazine describes the company and the application.  The company was founded by Max Levchin, best known for co-founding PayPal and being the chairman of Yelp.  The mobile app collects information from the female trying to get pregnant, but has his and her modules to allow the male to take part in the process.  Factors related to the male that influence chances of getting pregnant may be added later.  Current information collected includes menstrual cycles, cervical mucus, physical health, and emotional states.  This app goes beyond the scientific information to involve features such as making a reservation or ordering flowers, hoping to make the app less clinical and more approachable.

In addition to helping couples conceive through science, Glow has created Glow First to help with the financial burden.  Glow First acknowledges that infertility treatment is expensive and financially draining.  This is a non-profit program that works almost like infertility treatment insurance.  Couples pay into the fund for 10 months at $50 per month and must remain an active user of the log on the mobile app.  If the couple gets pregnant or at the 11^th month, the couple no longer pays.  If they have not yet conceived, the couple can go to an accredited infertility treatment and have their medical costs paid for once they submit proof of those costs.  Couples that get pregnant naturally do not get their contributions back as they are used to pay for treatment for others in the program.

Glow is the newest in what mHealth says is a trend of increasing numbers of mobile medical apps.  According to Information Week, there are a number of medical apps that can empower patients, enhance the doctor-patient relationship, and improve access to care.  One application allows doctors to use complex anatomical images to show patients what is going on in their bodies and what a procedure will entail.  Another application, called Isabel App, helps doctors with clinical decision support and checks symptoms against a database of 6,000 diseases.  The Mayo Clinic has embraced mobile apps, creating one for patients visiting their facilities.  This app helps them navigate the campus, access medical records, view lab results, and manage appointment schedules.

Mobile medical apps are a rapidly developing area of technology.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is exploring the need to regulate these apps and has provided guidance for developers.  The FDA notes that these apps can be useful, but may need controls to ensure they are not harming consumers.