Give healthcare professionals a clearer picture of your normal.
TapChart records a 10-second finger tapping test with your phone or laptop camera and keeps your personal history. If you choose to share, healthcare professionals who tap your band can compare today with your usual in seconds.
TapChart does not diagnose Parkinson's disease or replace your clinician. What it does and doesn't do.
For patients
A test is just 20 seconds of tapping
Do it at home, at a similar time of day, a few times a week. Each test adds to a history that's yours alone.
Sign in and set up your camera
Prop your phone or laptop at chest height in good light. TapChart asks for your camera only when you reach this step, and the video never leaves your device.
Tap for 10 seconds with each hand
Tap your index finger to your thumb, as fast and as wide as you can: left hand first, then right. A countdown gives you time to get ready.
Read your result, then your trend
A plain-language summary comes first, with the detailed numbers below. After 10 routine tests, each new test is compared with your own usual.
What you'll see
Results in plain words first, numbers second
The examples below use sample data to show the layout. They are not real results and not clinical evidence.
After a test
Your tapping was similar to your usual.
Both hands were within the range of your own previous tests.
- Taps per second
- Left 2.9 · Right 3.7
- Opening size
- Left 0.79 · Right 0.93
- Fading over 10 s
- Left 18% · Right 9%
- Rhythm variation
- Left 0.14 · Right 0.10
Each number comes with an everyday explanation. For example, “fading” is how much smaller your taps got from the start to the end of the 10 seconds.
What a professional sees
The latest test first, next to that person's usual, then the trend:
Left hand
2.91 taps/s
Usual 2.83 · +3%
Right hand
3.69 taps/s
Usual 3.47 · +6%
Within usual range
If one hand suddenly drops while the other stays at its usual, that stands out. If both drop together, it's shown differently: that pattern fits an “off” period or general illness more than a one-sided event.
For healthcare professionals
Tap the band, see the charts
When a patient with Parkinson's arrives with a sudden one-sided change, their usual tapping is the context that's usually missing. Patients can wear a TapChart band so an approved professional can open their charts in seconds.
-
The band holds only a code
A random code, like TC-HXJQ-…, and nothing else: no name, no health information, no results.
-
You sign in once
Tap it with your phone. If you're signed out, TapChart asks you to sign in and then goes straight to that patient.
-
Access is checked every time
Your professional account must be approved, and the patient must have agreed to share their data with healthcare providers. If they opted out, you're told so and nothing is shown.
-
Charts open directly
Latest test and trend first, built for a phone screen. Every opening is logged and visible to the patient.
Privacy
What TapChart keeps, and who can see it
In plain language, and matching how this version actually works.
Your video stays on your device
Hand tracking runs inside your browser. The camera video is never uploaded or saved. Only the measurements are.
What is saved
For each test: the date, 5 measurements per hand (speed, opening size, fading, rhythm, pauses) and the result shown. Also your email and password for signing in, an optional name you choose, your band's code, and a log of when professionals opened your charts.
Who can see your results
You. If you agree to share with healthcare providers, also approved healthcare professionals who tap your band; you can see who opened your charts. Turning sharing off stops everyone's access immediately. The people who run TapChart can access the database to operate it.
Your history can't be edited
You can delete your latest test within 15 minutes if you made a mistake. Older tests can't be changed by anyone, so your history stays trustworthy. To delete your whole account, contact the TapChart team.
TapChart is a prototype built at a hackathon (HackGT 13). It hasn't been reviewed for HIPAA compliance or cleared as a medical device. Please don't rely on it for medical decisions.
Questions
Common questions
Does TapChart record video of me?
No. Your browser uses the camera to find the position of your fingers, many times a second, and turns that into a few numbers. The video itself is never sent or stored. TapChart asks for camera permission only when you reach the camera setup step.
Why do I need an account?
TapChart is only useful if each test can be compared with your own earlier tests, so every test is saved to your account. The account also lets you control which professionals can see your results.
What do my results mean? Can TapChart tell me if I have Parkinson's?
No. TapChart describes how your tapping compares with your own usual: for example, “similar to your usual” or “one hand was much slower than usual today.” It doesn't diagnose Parkinson's disease, stroke, or anything else. Talk to your care team about any change that worries you, and call 911 for sudden weakness, face drooping or trouble speaking.
Why are 10 tests needed before I get a comparison?
Everyone taps differently, and many people with Parkinson's always have one slower hand. TapChart needs at least 10 routine tests to learn what's usual for you. Until then, it only describes how your two hands compared on the day.
What's on the NFC band, and what if I lose it?
Only a random code. No name, health information or results. If you lose it, remove it in TapChart under Medical band: it stops opening anything straight away. Then pair a new one.
Can any doctor or paramedic see my results by tapping my band?
Only if they have an approved professional account and you've agreed to share your data with healthcare providers. TapChart asks you when you create your account, and you can change it at any time under Sharing. If you opt out, anyone who taps your band is told so and sees nothing. You can see everyone who opened your charts.
What do I need?
A phone, tablet or computer with a camera and an up-to-date browser (Chrome, Safari or Edge). To tap a band, an iPhone XS or newer, or an Android phone with NFC turned on.
What TapChart is, and isn't
TapChart measures finger tapping and shows how it changes over time. It does not diagnose Parkinson's disease, stroke, or any other condition, and it does not replace a clinician's judgment. Its comparison of one-sided changes was developed with simulated data, not validated in patients. In an emergency, call 911.