Almost every second smartphone owner uses health apps

Health apps: Every second person uses them - one in ten rejects them
Thousands of smartphone apps for health, fitness and medicine are now available on the market. You can find among others, blood pressure monitor, pain diary, pills alarm clock or nutrition guide. According to a recent survey, almost every second smartphone owner uses such programs. Every tenth rejects them.

Few meaningful health apps on the market
Meanwhile, more and more apps are available on the market that are intended to serve the health. Some measure heart rate and metabolism, others serve as a blood pressure monitor, pain diary, pills alarm clock or nutrition guide. However, experts complain that there are only a few meaningful health apps with real diagnostic and therapeutic claims. In addition, the trend of digital self-monitoring is viewed very critically by many people. This is also shown by a recent survey, according to which almost every second smartphone owner uses health apps, but one in ten rejects the application.

Almost every second smartphone owner in Germany uses health apps. However, one in ten refuses to use such programs. Partly because of the fear that health data could fall into the wrong hands. (Image: Denys Prykhodov / fotolia.com)

Apps motivate sports
Nearly every second smartphone user (45 percent) uses health apps. Just as many (45 percent) can imagine doing so in the future. One in ten (ten percent) is of the opinion that such apps tend to be in the future or not to use them at all.

This is the result of a representative survey commissioned by the IT association Bitkom, for which 1,003 persons aged 14 and over were surveyed.

"Health apps help us stay healthy longer and, when we're sick, get better faster," said Bitkom Chief Executive Dr. Bernhard Rohleder in a message.

"Apps motivate the athlete, help to create training plans and warn if the vital signs are no longer within the normal range and a doctor's visit is needed."

Which programs are particularly popular
Accordingly, apps that record exclusively body and fitness data, such as heart rate, blood pressure or previous steps, are the most popular. A quarter of all smartphone users (27 percent) are already using these digital health care providers.

Apps that only inform - about health, fitness, weight or nutrition issues - use one in five (20 percent).

Apps reminiscent of vaccines or medications use only two percent.

Health data could fall into the wrong hands
One in ten, however, rejects the use of health apps. Data protection reasons, such as the fear that the health data will fall into the wrong hands, are a reason for one quarter of non-users (25 percent) not to use such programs.

Therefore, other experts in the past had warned for caution in health apps.

When processing the most sensitive health data, the highest standards of data protection and technical security of the devices must always be observed and adhered to, the Bitkom message states.

"The storage and evaluation of the data for the user should be as transparent as possible and data only after consent to third parties," said Rohleder.

To differentiate between good and bad offers, among other things recommendations could help, which are partly given by health insurances and physicians.

And: "Consumers should also pay attention to the technical security features when choosing fitness trackers and read the privacy policy very carefully." (Ad)