Alternatives to Health Diaries

The practice of maintaining health diaries is fairly intuitive: patients are encouraged to keep a notebook with them and write down the key details pertaining to their symptoms.

The idea has been popular with many schools of medicine in the past few decades. In fact, studies out of the journal Medical Care and Pharmacy World and Science from the 1980s and 1990s examined these methods of record keeping as a means to improve patient outcomes, among other study objectives.

The available research suggests that pen and paper health diaries effectively improve patient health. However, the practice is far from perfect. For example:

1. Patients may forget to bring their diaries with them on certain outings,
2. They may neglect to note relevant details about their symptoms,
3. Language, memory, and other barriers may prevent ideal note-taking.

Of course, many of these issues can be overcome through creative problem-solving. But in the 21st century, it may be time to revamp the pen and paper health diary by leveraging the best available technology.

What if, instead of having to log the time, intensity, and other characteristics of a coughing fit, a patient could record the information through a smartphone app? What if there were a means to convey this information to the patient’s physician for further analysis?

Obtaining patient data in such a way could enable physicians to gather more data, in less time, with less effort. This ability, in turn, could leave more time for developing patient rapport and diagnosing conditions.

These hypothetical questions are no longer just thought experiments. Indeed, today’s health journals are now much more powerful than notebooks and patient recollection. We are now witnessing the emergence of software that can automatically measure various health metrics and provide in-depth feedback to the user.

Redefining Health Diaries

As was stated in the introduction: health diaries are no longer limited solely to pen and paper methods. We now need to expand our definition of “health diaries” to include apps and health tracking software.

There are various apps available on the market which can provide valuable health data. Furthermore, these apps require little effort from users (apart from having their cellphones with them throughout the day).

Let’s consider the following list of next-generation health diaries. How can they help patients? Do they make a doctor’s job easier?

Top Smartphone Health Tracking Apps by Category

As our understanding of medicine has grown and our technological capabilities have improved, so has our capacity to measure key health indicators. This section will look at some of the best health diaries related to different areas of wellness.

Weight Loss Health Diaries

1. MyFitnessPal. Easy, intuitive, affordable. MyFitnessPal allows users to enter their demographic data, goals, and daily calorie intake/expenditure. Further, the app allows users to enter specific calorie amounts or select food from their massive list of previously evaluated meals. For example, suppose a hypothetical patient, “Mary” had a chicken pot pie for dinner. Mary could input each ingredient from the meal and calculate her caloric intake from there. Alternatively, she could search “chicken pot pie” within the app and select a serving size based on MyFitnessPal’s database. However, it’s important to note that some items’ calorie content differs slightly according to the specific food brand.
2. Lose It! Lose It! is similar in many ways to MyFitnessPal. The app allows users to easily track calories and create weight loss plans. Where this app falls short, however, is its inability to provide complete nutrition data on food. The app tracks calories but not micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, making the app incapable of capturing a user’s complete diet profile.
3. Noom. This app offers a different take on weight loss than some other popular options. Noom provides unique recommendations on ways to be more mindful of food intake. The goal of these recommendations is to improve the user’s relationship with food. Creating better eating habits and philosophies on eating, in general, can go a long way toward weight loss.

Heart Health Diaries

1. KardiaMobile. In less than a minute, KardiaMobile can provide data analogous to that obtained through a standard EKG. This technology is revolutionary, and all of the data is conveniently stored in a patient’s smartphone. One potential downside is that the Kardia device requires a separate piece of equipment. Therefore, patients need to bring the testing strip with them in addition to their cell phones.
2. Blood Pressure Companion. Especially for those with known cardiac disease, frequent blood pressure monitoring is one of the best ways for doctors to make decisions about patients’ care. After obtaining their BP, they need only transfer the numbers to the app to store a wealth of data, which can provide useful information for their doctors at the next checkup.
3. Cardiac Diagnosis (Arrhythmia). This app uses light produced from a mobile device to detect any abnormal heart rhythms the user may be experiencing. It serves as an early screening device so that the patient has some real-time data, which she can use to decide whether or not to contact her doctor.

Miscellaneous Health Diaries

1. Hyfe. Leading the cough diagnostics and management field, Hyfe provides a way to track respiratory health through a mobile device. The app can measure and record cough sound data. Additionally, it gives insight into cough quality, giving users peace of mind that their pulmonary health is being monitored through their smartphones.
2. Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker. As the name suggests, this app serves as a “buddy” for those managing diabetes symptoms. The app helps users track meals, A1C readings, and several other measurements.
3. Liverwell App. For those living with liver disease, this app makes managing symptoms easy. The Liverwell app allows users to set reminders, list medications, and access whatever information they need to live with their disease. Conveying this information to doctors is also easier, as the patient doesn’t have to memorize any complicated data or terminology. Rather, she can simply show the app to her doctor.

General Symptom Trackers

1. Flaredown. The Flaredown app is designed to help users identify what might be causing “flare-ups” regarding their symptoms. Within the app are easy ways to track and analyze symptoms. This app makes it easy to convey to doctors what symptoms the user has experienced, when they have experienced them, and how symptoms have changed over time.
2. Tally. Tally is a versatile app that broadly focuses on planning and goal setting. Patients may utilize Tally for general behavior changes or specific health goals. The app is excellent for setting and achieving short and long-term goals.
3. CareClinic. With medication reminders, symptom tracking, and better habit-forming suggestions, CareClinic is a comprehensive health tracking app. CareClinic allows for an easy way to convey patients’ needs to physicians during appointments and follow-ups.

Putting It All Together

Some physicians might prefer that their patients keep a record of their symptoms using pen and paper or something analogous to the “notes” app. However, these doctors are probably in the minority. Note-taking can be helpful in some ways, but it often creates confusion and is less efficient than using technology to capture accurate, objective data.

For this reason, electronic health diaries have exploded in popularity. There are apps for managing lung health, weight loss, and heart health. Beyond that, some apps can remind users to take medications and set health-related goals.

The computing power housed within smartphones is truly remarkable. Physicians who encourage their patients to keep detailed records of their symptoms may consider recommending some of the above health apps. These software innovations save time, provide accurate/real-time data, and can ultimately lead to better diagnoses. In the end, this all leads to better patient outcomes and a healthier society overall.