What Are the Advantages of Using a Health-Tracking App?
12 Mar 2021
In the fast pace of everyday life, health and time are two of the most precious resources. The digital world offers countless opportunities that help us take care of our health, as well as the one of our family’s. As a doctor, I am familiar with the vast amount of documentation patients arrive with for their check-ups or hospitalization. Analyzing all of this data and putting it all in order is a tiresome and challenging task.
Sometimes going through old symptoms, conditions, or treatments is practically impossible because patients lose the files or simply don’t bring everything necessary. Often, patients can’t remember the exact symptoms or how long they lasted. When all of the symptoms, medical documentation, and treatments are kept on record, it’s much easier to go through the chronological order of events and analyze the current situation. Undoubtedly, a practical solution would be putting all of a patient’s health information into a mobile application. Smartphones have turned into an extension of the hand we use to write, take pictures, read, communicate and even work. A mobile software made for keeping up all of your medical records/as well as the thоse of your family members would be of great use not only for patients but also for physicians.
Here are some of the advantages for patients using such application:
“Is it really necessary for me to come to the medical center?”
Chronically ill patients visit their doctor regularly to show certain lab results that indicate the stage of their condition. This is where telemedicine comes in. Having all of your medical information on your phone, accessible from every corner of the world, no matter what time it is. A patient can show their doctor all of the required data to learn what the development of their condition is without having to wait in line at a medical center. Using a mobile app gives the GP direct access to the required indicators to find a diagnosis and excludes physical contact, which is essential during the COVID pandemic.
“The doctor didn’t have time to go through all of my case history and tests.”
Pressured by time, physicians often cannot go through all of the patient’s records during a visit. However, if this data is sent digitally, in advance, they can get to know the condition’s history whenever they have the opportunity. This would make the visit much more effective and oriented around a diagnosis.
“Where is my case history?”
When we go to the doctor, it all starts with going through our folder of medical documents so that they can see our indicators. Sometimes, patients lose or misplace their documentation. Putting it in a mobile app saves time looking for it and putting it in order.
“Did I take my medication?”
The key to overcoming an illness is sticking to the therapy plan. Often patients forget to take their drugs which undermines the purpose. An alarm and a checklist help fight the chance of missing taking a pill, wondering which one to take when or overdosing on medications.
“The children are sick and need aid around the clock.”
For children, the dynamics of a condition are much faster, and it’s crucial to stick to the medication plan. Keeping track of youngsters’ medical data is of great assistance for parents. The information can be easily shareable with the rest of the family and the medical team.
“I don’t want to wait around sick people at the hospital.”
Online consultations are becoming a routine part of medical practice. They are a massive help for chronically ill patients. Not only do they save time, but they also minimize the risk of being exposed to disease-caring patients in front of the doctor’s office. Again, this is a great way to get medical help from practitioners from all around the world.
To sum up, the digitization of medical data saves up loads of time and effort not only for the patient but also for the doctor.
You can start today by installing Medrec:M
Author: Dr. Tanya Andreeva