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Advances in medical technology make everyday life for those managing chronic illnesses so much easier. With so many people doing daily tasks such as banking and communication on their phones, mobile apps pop up daily for nearly every kind of daily task imaginable. It is only natural for medical apps to join the mobile technology parade, as the potential for usefulness to patients is enormous. Medical apps allow patients to track their medications, access test results quickly, and communicate with providers in a much more efficient way. For patients who are homebound or not easily able to travel to doctor’s offices, some apps even offer telehealth abilities and link with smart medical devices. Here are some of the ways using a medical app can improve your overall health.
Table of Contents
1- Real-Time Health Monitoring
When paired with a smart device such as an Apple Watch, medical apps have the ability to track and record data from physical activity, vital signs, and other metrics. For example, the Apple Watch can detect atrial fibrillation and resting heart rates, essential data for a cardiologist monitoring a patient’s daily heart health. Health apps also allow manual data entry, and many can generate reports for doctors.
2- Access to On-Demand Medical Advice
Some health apps allow for straightforward communication with healthcare professionals through messaging features, live chat, and video conferencing. Instead of physically visiting or leaving a message, the patient can ask questions in a manner that increases the likelihood of receiving an answer. Some apps even allow for telehealth visits and virtual medication renewal requests.
3- Medication Management and Reminders
Chronic illness patients must take multiple medications at specific times of day, which can be difficult to remember. Medical apps can send notifications based on predetermined schedules to remind the patient to take medication. These apps can also help manage prescriptions and even coordinate with the apps for retailers such as Walgreens or CVS to refill medications. Some apps even have a feature that will alert the patient if they are prescribed a new medication that might have a negative interaction with a medication already prescribed.
4- Personalized Health Recommendations
Medical apps collect a variety of important data, which then allows the medical professional and some AI-powered algorithms to offer health tips, nutrition suggestions, and exercise routines based on insights derived from the collected data. This is offered based on the patient’s own unique needs and goals.
5- Chronic Disease Management and Doctor Coordination
Medical apps can help those with chronic conditions manage symptoms, monitor the healing or health maintenance progress, and help patients stay connected with healthcare providers. In addition, any healthcare providers that use the same app or have apps that access a central system of information allow all of the doctors and medical professionals treating a patient to access necessary data, test results, and medication lists, which helps avoid redundancy in testing and prescribing medications. Ultimately, this leads to better long-term health outcomes for the patient.
If you’re wanting to improve your overall health, consider using a medical app to help you get started.
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