Do health apps harm or help healthy people?
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Health apps have the
potential to make a broad impact on the health of the general
population, argues one expert, but another suggests that health apps may
be harmful. Widely available on smartphones, health apps aim to
encourage people to adopt healthy behaviours ranging from weight loss to
physical activity and to help patients manage conditions such as
diabetes and high blood pressure. Some apps have been shown to im
prove health outcomes and have great potential to reduce morbidity and
mortality, argues Iltifat Husain. He notes two randomised controlled
trials that have demonstrated that weight loss apps on traditional
personal digital assistants increased compliance and improved weight
loss when compared to traditional programmes. Despite no evidence of
harm, there still may be drawbacks of using health apps and research has
demonstrated some conflicting results, he adds.For example, research
has shown that some fitness apps accurately count users' steps and
physical activity , but results did not find improved outcomes or
exercise rates. Many apps have not been
tested and may not be useful or effective, he notes.
In a second article, Des Spence, a general practitioner, argues that most health apps are mostly harmless and likely useless, but warns of the rise of apps used alongside wearable devices that monitor heart rate, blood pressure and etc.These are untested and unscientific, and play on the fears of an unhealthily health obsessed generation, he explains, adding that these can ignite extreme anxiety and medical harm through overdiagnosis of health conditions. Medical technologies are already overused for magnetic resonance imaging and blood tests and people should be sceptical of more medical technology , he cautions.
In a second article, Des Spence, a general practitioner, argues that most health apps are mostly harmless and likely useless, but warns of the rise of apps used alongside wearable devices that monitor heart rate, blood pressure and etc.These are untested and unscientific, and play on the fears of an unhealthily health obsessed generation, he explains, adding that these can ignite extreme anxiety and medical harm through overdiagnosis of health conditions. Medical technologies are already overused for magnetic resonance imaging and blood tests and people should be sceptical of more medical technology , he cautions.
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