By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Effective Healthcare Requires a Social Approach
    June 15, 2015
    CCBHCs
    2016 Excellence in Behavioral Health Program Design
    February 23, 2016
    conducting Clinical Trial
    5 Tips for Conducting a Clinical Trial
    April 21, 2024
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Health Tracking Apps: Not Yet Ready to Make a Big Impact
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > Health Tracking Apps: Not Yet Ready to Make a Big Impact
eHealthMobile Health

Health Tracking Apps: Not Yet Ready to Make a Big Impact

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Almost no one really uses smartphone apps to track their health. That’s my takeaway from the latest Pew Research report. Although the report says close to 70% of adults are tracking some health statistics such as weight, diet or medical symptoms most of them do so either in their head (49%) or on paper (34%). The 21% who report using some kind of technology are split among a medical device (e.g., glucometer), app, spreadsheet, or website.

Almost no one really uses smartphone apps to track their health. That’s my takeaway from the latest Pew Research report. Although the report says close to 70% of adults are tracking some health statistics such as weight, diet or medical symptoms most of them do so either in their head (49%) or on paper (34%). The 21% who report using some kind of technology are split among a medical device (e.g., glucometer), app, spreadsheet, or website. Some people use technology and paper or keep info in their heads. Not surprisingly it’s people with chronic illnesses who are more likely to track information. 

I don’t think the current generation of health apps is going to take us very far. It’s tedious to enter data and many people would rather just forget about their illness then spend a lot of time gathering, entering and analyzing it. And even if the information is tracked it doesn’t mean it will be used.

I have had to maintain a medical journal, but I use a simple spreadsheet that I can print and email to the doctor. That’s despite the fact that there are some cute apps available that supposedly make things simpler. I’m definitely the exception in that I’m willing to track details accurately over a long period of time and use them in appointments and phone calls with physicians. And let’s face it, a high proportion of the 49% of people who say they track things in their head are deluding themselves about the quality of their data.

More Read

The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
Your Employees Are Your Best Brand Ambassadors
Welcome to the age of the patientpreneur
Medicare’s “Blue Button” Can Help You Track Care
Larklife: The Wristband That Tracks You Eating, Sleeping or Running

The key to health tracking will be passive data collection. Once the smartphone can keep an eye on its owner’s activities, symptoms and vital signs we’ll be in a whole different place. There will still be the need to sift through the massive amount of data generated to summarize it and glean the useful tidbits, but that’s actually an easier problem to solve than the passive sensor challenge.

Until we get to really smart, passive devices, which will take a decade or more, you should expect to see successive editions of the Pew report saying more or less what this one says.

 

TAGGED:self-monitoringself-tracking
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

eHealthMobile Health

Essential Apps for Tracking Health and Wellness

July 19, 2019
Helsinki University Hospital
Mobile Health

Mobile Health Around the Globe: Health Monitoring at Helsinki Hospital in Finland

April 2, 2012

Involving Pharma in Social Media: Chat 122 Summary

April 10, 2013

Online Conversion Optimization Strategies for Healthcare Professionals

February 19, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?