The first app to assess and support people with coeliac disease

The application includes risk assessment and helps connect coeliac disease sufferers

Spotted: Nazarbayev University scientists in Kazakhstan have developed CeliacTest, the first mobile application with a questionnaire that can assess the risk of an individual contracting coeliac disease — a genetically predisposed immune-mediated gluten intolerance.

The questionnaire was created by clinical scientists from the charity Coeliac UK, using evidence-based clinical guidelines.

If a person is determined to be high-risk after taking the questionnaire, the app provides suggestions for blood tests. The app is also useful for people already diagnosed with the disease, as a built-in directory locates gluten-free restaurants and supermarkets in Kazakh cities, in addition to information about doctors and medical centres. Users can also interact via the app’s forum and connect with online medical physicians. 

Coeliac disease awareness in Kazakhstan is low and there are no “coeliac associations that would actively deal with this problem,” said Aizhan Kozhakhmetova, a biology teaching assistant and the main developer of the idea. In response, the app was devised with the aim of eliminating paperwork and accessibility problems. Further development of the app will include a section for scientific news and information about on-going local and international research projects.

The app is currently only available in Russian, but the team plans to add English and Kazakh versions soon.

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