Anxiety Relief App Rootd Passes the U.S.’s Tough New Digital Health Assessment Framework

Anxiety Relief App Rootd Passes the U.S.'s Tough New Digital Health Assessment Framework

“Rootd, the #1 ranked app for anxiety and panic attack relief has passed the Digital Health Assessment framework (DHAF), a rigorous new scheme which aims to drive up health app standards in the United States.”
Rootd, the #1 ranked app for anxiety and panic attack relief has passed the Digital Health Assessment framework (DHAF), a rigorous new scheme which aims to drive up health app standards in the United States.

Rootd, the #1 ranked app for anxiety and panic attack relief has passed the Digital Health Assessment framework (DHAF), a rigorous new scheme which aims to drive up health app standards in the United States.

The DHAF, developed by ORCHA (the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps), is intended to be an open framework, accessible for anyone to use, to support the adoption of high-quality digital health technologies and help healthcare professionals and patients make better-informed decisions about which digital health tools best suit their needs. The framework includes components to assess privacy and security, clinical assurance and safety, and usability, and was crafted to support U.S.-specific guidelines, regulations and best practices for digital health technologies.

“We’re delighted to share that Rootd is one of only a few mental health apps to achieve the DHAF standards for security, privacy, efficacy and safety.” said Ania Wysocka, who created Rootd due to personal experience with the debilitating effects of anxiety and panic attacks. “Frameworks like the DHAF provide users and the healthcare professionals that recommend Rootd with valuable additional assurance that they are choosing the right digital mental health tool.”

Until now, although 86 million Americans are already using a health or fitness app, there has been no clear way to determine whether a product is safe to use and many fall outside of existing medical device regulations and federal laws. 

Commenting on Rootd’s success, Tim Andrews, COO, ORCHA, said: “It has been a pleasure helping Rootd achieve this important accreditation. ORCHA’s accreditation standards are the world’s toughest, so US healthcare professionals and consumers will know they can trust any digital health products which successfully pass the DHAF.”

The project has been led by the The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), with ORCHA developing the framework itself.  The DHAF allows the independent assessment of the mobile apps and web-based tools used by healthcare providers and consumers. 

About Rootd:

Rootd is the #1 rated app for anxiety and panic attacks, designed to be a symbiotic complement to therapy sessions and other resources prescribed by professionals. Used by millions of happy, less-stressed users around the globe, Rootd helps users in the moments they need it most with its interactive exercises and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based tools.

Rootd’s therapist-approved features include: 

  • A panic button for in-the-moment panic attack relief

  • Lessons on understanding panic attacks and anxiety, as well as short term and long term changes a person can make in their life to manage anxiety and feel more in control

  • A sleep tool to help decrease anxious thoughts and enable a better night’s sleep 

  • Deep breathing exercises (most people with anxiety tend to be shallow breathers)

  • Guided body scans and visualizations (for a form of active meditation)

  • A journal tool (for identifying patterns in anxiety, and building confidence)

  • And a gamified stats page so that users can track progress and celebrate successes. 

Rootd is available directly through the App Store and Google Play Stores, and also as an enterprise offering for employers and health plans.

Find Rootd in the Google Play Store at  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rootd

Media Contact
Company Name: Rootd
Contact Person: Ron Smith
Email: Send Email
Phone: 250.532.0703
Country: Canada
Website: https://www.rootd.io/