ESC Student health app

The Expert Self Care app for students, ‘ESC Student‘ has been launched at this year’s Student Health Association Conference in Leeds on Monday 27 June as part of a wider campaign to help improve student health and increase health literacy among students and young people.

Developed by experienced GP Dr Knut Schroeder from Bristol together with a team of experts from the University of Bristol Students’ Health Service, 30 students and health professionals from the wider NHS, the app allows students and young people to answer common questions about their health in seconds and without the need for an internet connection.

With vast amounts of information available to us about health at the touch of our fingers through laptops and smartphones it is easy to Google symptoms but often quite difficult to be sure which sources are accurate. The ESC app gives students quick and easy access to reliable health information. This makes it easier to make informed decision about health and how to improve wellbeing.

The app is certified by the NHS England Information Standard as a source of reliable health information. It offers information and reassurance on health problems that the developers found were important to students through consultations – from first aid and emergencies to common ailments, mental health problems, physical symptoms, love and sex, healthy living, travel health, alcohol and drugs, long-term health problems, staying safe at school or uni, and how to access health services.

Using the app means access to reliable information any time of day and from anywhere in the world. Most of the pages don’t require access to the internet so you really can have answers at your fingertips 24/7.

The app covers:

Emergencies – learning the truth about life-threatening illnesses and how to give basic first aid
General ill health – tackling sleep problems, feeling stressed, and constant fatigue
Mental health – finding out what to do when feeling low or anxious, self-harming or worried about drinking too much alcohol
Common ailments – getting to the bottom of headaches, finding out how to treat spots, and managing common aches and pains
Navigating health services – what to do next and when to see a pharmacist, nurse or doctor
Useful links – getting fast access to hundreds of links to useful and reliable sources of further information (to access these links, internet access will be required)

For more information visit www.expertselfcare.com or find out more about the app on Facebook and Twitter.