With the increase of technology such as smartphones, smart watches, wearable devices, tablets, and more, access to health care has never been easier. People use their devices for everything, which has gained the interest of the medical field as well. We can now track heart rates, blood pressures, sleep activity, calories burned, steps walked, blood sugar levels, and more all through applications on the devices we already have. Mobile health applications have multiple benefits for people. One of these are the increased access to your healthcare. By providing easier ways for people to manage their health in a cost efficient way, people are more likely to follow through with their care plans. Applications can also help encourage patients to live healthier lifestyles by allowing them to track their habits such as exercise, caloric intake, and more. Having that immediate feedback as well can help patients communicate with doctors to be more involved in their care. Your health care provider may have applications they recommend, but you can also choose applications based on our preference or other users reviews.
Having all your health information easily accessible online is a great benefit for the future, but online can also be dangerous and nobody wants their information taken. This is one of the main concerns with the world of health going technological. If using mobile health applications on your electronic devices, there are a few things to know to help keep your information safe. Be sure your phone has a passcode that only you know, and is never left unlocked. You should also avoid having your password written down for someone to find. Accessing information in public areas or using open and unsecured WiFi networks is also not recommended. Many people stay logged into applications on devices for ease of access, however is not recommended. Fortunately, the apps themselves must abide by strict rules to provide privacy and confidentiality support on all levels of the systems.
Here is a lost of some mobile health applications:
BodyGuardian www.preventicesolutions.com
AliveCor www.store.alivecor.com
Diabetes Manager by WellDoc www.welldoc.com
Youper www.youper.ai
References
Alexander, S., Frith, K. H., & Hoy, H. (2019). Applied Clinical Informatics for Nurses (2nd ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Arora, S., Yttri, J., & Nilsen, W. (2014). Privacy and Security in Mobile Health (mHealth) Research. Alcohol Research : Current Reviews, 36(1), 143–151.
Health and Information Literacy 