THINGS WE SHOULD USE AS HEALTH BENEFITS: Smartphone Applications for Patients’ Health and Fitness

Just like the existence of Emobileclinic; a platform where you can consult with various medical specialists, the recent developments in the area of communication and technological advancements should be use as benefits to improve our state of well being.

A recent article ‘introduces evidence that apps can better help patients reach their health and fitness goals’. Mobile apps are self-explanatory programs for smartphones designed to fulfill a particular purpose.He recognized smartphone technology, including the Global Positioning System, accelerometer, microphone, speaker, and camera; to have average-to-excellent accuracy to measure a range of physical activities which can generally differentiate static activities, cycling, walking, and running. This technology has equally made it possible for smartphone apps to monitor biological parameters, diabetes, cardiac rehabilitation, falls in the elderly, and physical activities. He noticed Internet-based systems have been used to motivate patients to pursue fitness and this seems to have improved compliance.

The researcher made use of the Internet to get his facts on all the apps,their providers and frequencies of search on the apps using the health and fitness key words and further went a head to review the internet-based physical activity interventions and noted that 61% are in that regard .’ Notably over 1 million apps are available of which health and fitness apps are 23,490 and 17,756′ he explained. He noticed that most of the popular mobile health and fitness apps focus on fitness and self-monitoring’ while fitness apps may represent another tool to assist health care providers in measuring health and fitness parameters, setting goals for patients, and helping patients achieve their goals’, he pointed out.

The rapid increase of smartphone use in recent years has greatly influence users by motivating and giving them the platform to monitor their health as well as challenging them for fitness.So when next you are purchasing a phone, include health and fitness parameters as one of the yardsticks for your own maximum health benefits .

More Information

The America Journal of Medicine

‘Smartphone Applications for Patients’ Health and Fitness’

A work of John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, MPhil, Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston