In July 2023, a survey by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) revealed that 68 per cent of people agree that digital health apps should be used within the NHS. Nearly half of everyone surveyed said they were already using a health app to self-manage their health.
Research by ORCHA in 2022 found that 83 per cent of people surveyed who had used a health app found it actively helped to improve their health and wellbeing. Some 55 per cent were using an app recommended by a healthcare professional, mainly GPs or pharmacists. In addition, people aged 18-44 said they would choose digital health to support a mental health condition over and above prescription medicines, such as an antidepressant.
“Great health apps are, right now, being prescribed by doctors to help their patients sleep better, manage their mental health, keep fitter, monitor medicine usage, and much more,” says Liz Ashall-Payne, founding CEO of ORCHA. “But all of us need better advice on how to choose a good-quality app. Consistently, more than half of the health apps we review fail to reach the standard required to be used by the NHS.”
Health apps and digital technology already play a significant role within healthcare. The NHS Long-Term Plan, published in 2019, expected that by 2029, people will be “helped to stay well, to recognise important symptoms early, and to manage their own health, guided by digital tools”. According to the Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions in October 2021, it is hoped that eventually health apps will become part of digitally enabled care pathways, broaden access to healthcare services, and improve the outcomes of current treatments.
App benefits
A National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on ‘Behaviour change: digital and mobile health interventions’ published in October 2020, stated that using mobile apps may help people change their behaviour, which may in turn help to improve their health: “Addressing health-related behaviours such as those relating to physical activity, smoking and alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory conditions, cancer and liver disease. Digital and mobile interventions may also help people to self-manage, self-monitor or improve these behaviours and improve their mental, social and emotional wellbeing.”
Many people are using health tracking apps to improve their lifestyle and maintain healthier habits and there is a vast range of health tracking apps available. This includes calorie counting and weight management, fitness and exercise, periods and menstrual cycle, menopause symptoms, alcohol intake, sleep, mental health, and chronic conditions management. In August 2023, research at the University of British Columbia (published in JAMA Psychiatry) revealed that using exercise apps to track simple home workouts can help to reduce symptoms of depression and burnout.
“Health tracking apps offer immediate benefits by giving users insights into their daily habits like diet, exercise and sleep,” says Liz. “These insights allow for quick adjustments to improve health in the short term. Over time, consistent use of these apps leads to a deeper understanding of personal health patterns.”
Kantar research in October 2022 revealed that, overall, 39 per cent of people see improvements in their physical and emotional health when they monitor them with the support of technology. In addition, 78 per cent of health-conscious consumers believe that the social and community components embedded in fitness apps make it easier to practise healthy habits.
