Benefits of using health apps:
With the wide use of smartphones, applications are a convenient and fast way to look up important information regarding your health. Mobile apps can give you up to date information and provide you with the education and information you need to better your health. Apps can also be used to interact with your health care provider, family, or even your caregiver. A lot of apps can help you as a patient keep track of your own health. It can monitor and manage diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Some apps can count calories, and keep track of activity for a better body. There are even applications that help your mind, that help with meditation, sleep, and can even remind you to take the medications you need at a certain time.
How to select the best app for you: Is the app wearable? Is it reliable? Is the focus of the app, what your looking for (whether it be for medications, blood pressure, sleep, disease management, or a fitness tracker)? Is the app easy to use? What are others saying about it? Is it popular? Who are the makers? What are their credentials? Can it communicate to your doctor? All these things are good to consider when selecting the right application for you.
How to know when it is safe: Security and confidentiality concerns all of us. Your privacy should be protected, especially when it comes to your health. Mobile health systems should always provide some support for your privacy. In 1996, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and in 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) have passed Acts that make these mobile health systems protect your information. Making sure that your application is FDA approved will help ease your mind when it comes to your privacy.
Quality apps:
My fitness pal is a free calorie counter app that helps you lose weight. It does this by keeping track of the foods you eat, and the activity you do.
Head Space is a meditation app that helps train your mind to focus and make better decisions.
Calm is a meditation app. In addition to guided meditations, it provides stories for better sleep, music, and video lessons for body stretching and movements.
The Owlet app is a baby monitor app that keeps track of your baby's heart rate and oxygen levels while your baby sleeps, so that you can relieve your anxiety and get the sleep that you need.
Medisafe is a medication management app that that helps keep track of the medications you take, and when you need to take them. It also helps with side effects and what medications you can take together, and which ones you can't.
Dexcom is a glucose monitoring system that is designed for Diabetes patients. This app keeps monitors blood glucose levels and alerts you if your levels get too high or too low. It can also keep track of diet and exercise, which also have an impact on your sugar levels. This information can be shared with caregivers and healthcare professionals to help manage your diabetes.
Sleep cycle is an app that keeps track of your sleep patterns. The apps alarm system helps you wake up refreshed and ready for your day.
Fooducate is a health app that helps keep track of activity and foods you eat to help you with your diet for better health.Reference:
Alexander, S., Frith, K. H., Hoy, H. (2019). Applied clinical informatics for nurses.(2nd ed.)Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning
