The automotive industry has taken health IT out for a spin, and is liking the way the technology handles.

Officials at Ford Motor Company announced Thursday the advent of its new voice-activated mobile health application, which allows drivers to monitor external allergy, flu and UV conditions.

Company officials say the Allergy Alert app enables allergy sufferers to safely monitor outdoor conditions that may cause symptoms such as scratchy eyes, sore throat and nasal congestion.

“What the app does is give you the pollen level at your location, along with the asthma, cough, cold and UV indexes, both on the day you ask it, as well as a four-day forecast," said Gary Strumolo, global manager of Ford Research and Innovation.

[See also: Ford looks to introduce health, wellness apps to its cars.]

The current mobile health market is in overdrive, according to industry experts. One report conducted by Juniper Research found global medical app downloads reached 44 million in 2011, and report officials project that number will spring to 142 million by 2016. It is these market trends, experts add, that offer a driving incentive for carmakers to make mobile health a priority.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that more than 40 million people nationwide suffer from indoor and outdoor allergies, which includes allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies, hay fever and nasal allergies. With these glaring statistics, Ford officials say the motive behind the mobile technology really comes down to driver safety and well-being.

“One of the things that we’re trying to do is to extend the notion of automotive safety,” said Strumolo. “Today, if you ask someone what automotive safety means, they’d say crashworthiness – how did a car perform in a crash. But the reality is that most people go through their entire driving lives without being in a serious auto accident; if they have a chronic illness, they suffer from that every day of their lives.” 

[See also: Ford, Microsoft to develop 'Doctor in Your Car'.]

Officials say the mobile application allows drivers to connect smartphones or tablets to their vehicles, and by using simple voice commands they can quickly access information without needing to take their hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.

Through the app’s pollen index rating, drivers can request to hear the types of allergen conditions they are likely to encounter that may cause a flare-up in personal allergy symptoms. The app also provides a risk index for asthma, flu/cough/cold and ultraviolet rays.

Ford officials say its time the automobile industry tap into health information technology. “We want to change the paradigm that in-car connectivity systems such as SYNC can only be used for information and entertainment purposes,” said Strumolo. “Health and wellness are key issues for our customers outside of the car; therefore, we want to leverage our connectivity platform to improve their time behind the wheel. The trend in mobile health is all about knowing potential health concerns before they happen so that they don’t surprise a person, even while driving.”

[See also: mHealth moving forward fast, experts say.]

Detailed app abilities include:

• Current location updates the driver’s location using the car’s built-in GPS receiver to report the most accurate and up-to-date information

• Allergy provides a verbal pollen index to users that rates the severity of pollen levels in the surrounding environment on a scale from 0 to 12

• Pollen specifies that pollens are predominantly in the air

• Asthma uses a 0 to 12 scale to address potential and upcoming concerns for asthmatics

• Flu addresses the current and upcoming flu index and report

• UV tells drivers of the current and upcoming risks of UV rays

• The app stores up to three ZIP codes. The first is the default location when not using the GPS position; the second and third ZIP enable users to store ZIP codes outside of their current area, such as a mother storing the ZIP code of her child’s school.

“Mobile health apps are changing the way consumers manage their own wellness," explained Doug VanDagens, global director of Ford Connected Services. “Ford SYNC provides the platform to extend this growing trend to the driving experience.”