How to Choose a Medication Tracking App
The success of your treatment as a chronic illness or cancer patient often relies on day-to-day adherence to your treatment or medication protocol. With all of the complexities and moving parts involved in managing your condition, it can be difficult to stay on top of your treatment. That’s where medication tracking apps come into play. By automating reminders and keeping track of side effects, medication apps can be a major aid in sticking to treatments and feeling better.
Patient companion apps have become massively popular over the past few years, and the momentum is only growing. In fact, the global mobile health app market size is expected to quadruple in value between the years 2020 and 2026. While this is great for encouraging advancements in technology and ultimately better products, this also means that there are a sea of apps to choose from — and for individuals, it can be difficult to distinguish what app will be most beneficial for them.
If you’re in the market for adopting a new medication tracking health app, here are a few key tenants to consider:
01 Ease of Use
One of the goals of a medication management app is to make adhering to medication protocols easier — especially during times when life gets hectic. Having an app that is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and simple to get the hang of is important to ensure that you’ll continue to use the app long-term and when your initial motivation begins to die down.
02 Features
What features are important to you? Automatic reminders, detailed time and dosage tracking, and symptom tracking are a few core features that many patients look for in a medication app. But many patient companion apps also have tangential features that can help enhance your entire experience. This could include appointment tracking, the ability to share your progress, and insights into your treatment and potential side effects.
03 Security & Privacy
Medication information, and any personal health information for that matter, should always be secure and private. It’s important to make sure the app has strong security measures in place so that your sensitive data remains protected.
04 Compatibility
The app you choose should be compatible and optimized for your mobile device and operating system. On top of that, if you use wearable devices or other health, fitness, or nutrition apps, check for integrations to sync with these devices/apps. The more compatible your medication app is with the practices you’ve already incorporated into your routine, the easier it will be to integrate your new app seamlessly into your journey.
05 Cost
Some medication tracking apps may have a cost associated with them or certain premium features. Consider whether the app and features are worth the cost and whether there are free alternatives available.
Wave Health App is an example of a comprehensive and well-rounded medication tracking app. Not only does it send medication reminders and insights on side effects, but it also enables tracking for other health and treatment activities. An app like this is perfect for patients who prefer to keep all of their daily treatment data in one place. In closing, using a medication tracking app can help patients in a number of ways — from preventing missed doses to better understanding effectiveness and side effects. By tracking and learning about their medications, patients are choosing to take an active role in their care. Check out Wave Health App to learn more about its medication and activity tracking features.
