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Healthy Up-and-Coming Apps for Smartphones
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Amidst smartphone applications that transform your thumbs into drumsticks and others that make "whoosh" noises as you swing around your phone/digital lightsaber, there are apps that can actually be quite useful in the medical field.
Amidst smartphone applications that transform your thumbs into drumsticks and others that make “whoosh” noises as you swing around your phone/digital lightsaber, there are apps that can actually be quite useful in the medical field. Compiled by the location-based social network Foursquare, here are three such up-and-coming applications.
This application facilitates the recording, monitoring, and sharing of vital health information. Useful information like heart rate, glucose levels, blood pressure, and weight can be documented and observed in real time, and then sent to appropriate parties. This allows for the fast and efficient transfer of health information which could lead to an increased quality of care for a patient. The app also utilizes foursquare location data to power the Healthy Spots section, which enables users to discover healthy food options, outdoor and fitness spots, and nearby medical sites.
Patients who suffer from chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression can use this application to monitor and document their symptoms, meals, and medications over the course of the day. The app also couples that information with their check-in histories, which can show patients and their doctors if/how their physical locations are affecting their health; overall, the application allows both parties to record and keep track of factors influencing the patient’s condition, but it can also help doctors identify further possible factors.
This application is still in the works, though it looks promising. The app is designed to help keep track of general health and wellness, but it also aims to motivate users to do more for their bodies by introducing some friendly competition. Users are shown when their friends check-in to the gym, and it also offers informative advice and tips regarding weight loss and healthy eating and lifestyle habits. The creators urge Smartphone users to link up their foursquare accounts and try it out in order to gain some feedback.
