By: Teresa Ramos, M.D.

There is pretty much a mobile application, or app, for everything you can think of, and according to a recent study conducted by Google, health and fitness is the fastest growing app category. About two thirds of Americans are using some sort of health monitoring mobile application. From monitoring how many steps you take in a day, to the healthy food choices you make for every meal, it makes perfect sense that these programs are on the rise. Being able to manage so much from a small and portable gadget can make your life so much simpler, and achieving you goals that much more realistic. With thousands of these apps to choose from, we want to highlight a few that we know well.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has created a couple of apps that facilitate the way you manage and track your health. For those who are looking for an app that will track physical activity and help manage stress levels, the “Centered” app may be a good choice. Available for iPhone and the Apple Watch, the “Centered” app offers several stress management features that work through activity and meditation, goal setting for activity and mindful minutes to your daily routine, multiple mindful meditation sessions to choose from, and lets you to track how your mood is impacted by meditation and activity. The app also asks users two or three times a day whether they’re feeling “relaxed,” “OK” or “stressed.” Notifications provide actionable feedback, like suggesting a walk around the block or a four-minute “mini meditation,” for a stressed user.

Another app is the “Healthy Family” app. “Healthy Family”, a free family health manager app, provides an easy, on-the-go way to manage and track important health screenings, such as flu shots and vaccinations, and measure progress towards health and wellness goals. It’s designed for how busy today’s families can be, especially as many settle their kids back into a school routine. “Healthy Family”, was created to help simplify their lives and alleviate stress.

Once a family member’s profile is created, the app provides a list of recommended health screenings to discuss with the family doctor. They can also input notes to discuss with the doctor, as well as set reminders for recommended vaccinations, such as flu shots. Additional features include the ability to input height and current weight to track BMI, input historical medical and test information to track progress towards health goals, and view educational information on preventive care and testing needs. Its content is available in both English and Spanish.

There are also health reminder subscriptions many healthcare providers are using to manage their patients’ schedules these days. CareMessageTM” is a program that offers healthcare organizations – like nearby Sinai Health System – a web platform to streamline their care management and interactive programs designed to help improve their health. This program requires no software to install, no computer expertise needed, and no servers or IT management to worry about. Some of the features include reminders to help patients remember doctors’ appointments,, monitor their patient behavior – whether they’re properly taking their medications or not via email, text and voice messaging, and offer culturally sensitive health education programs and information for diverse populations, like those we have in Chicago.

So whether you are using an app or a tool for important health topics, or your doctor is using one for your benefit, the bottom line is that digital, mobile tools that help manage your health are here to stay.

Teresa Ramos M.D. is currently a Medical Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Dr. Ramos is board certified in Internal Medicine. She practiced and taught medicine for over 20 years prior to joining the health insurance side of health care. Dr. Ramos is a member of multiple organizations, including the National Hispanic Medical Association, and has received multiple awards and recognition for her exceptional leadership and service to patients and the Latino community. She continues to dedicate herself toward improving the health of the Latino community.