Tech & Tools

Free Smartphone App Helps Patients Boost Daily Activity Levels 

Quantia has partnered with diabetes educator Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, to create a mobile exercise application called DailyCoach on its QuantiaCare platform. DailyCoach, available on the iPhone, Android, smartphones, tablets, and the Web, is a free app that provides coaching on simple and fun ways for patients to increase activity levels. The application was created in response to a 1,000-patient study, conducted with participating members on QuantiaCare, which found that one-half of the respondents believed exercise and weight loss were the most difficult issues in managing diabetes.

The Quantia study also found that one-third of all respondents had been advised by a physician to make lifestyle modifications, including exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommend that adults over age 18 should participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week. The DailyCoach application was created for those with or at risk of developing diabetes, patients with cardiovascular conditions or obesity issues, and anyone who’d benefit from increased exercise.

DailyCoach engages patients with Scheiner’s practical advice delivered in bite-size pieces in an interactive mobile viewing format, which includes voice, text, easy-to-understand graphics and images, and questions and answers. Anyone can register for the application, and Quantia provides a simple means for physicians to recommend the service to their patients.

The application also includes the following:

• weight-tracking tools such as a weight diary and BMI calculator;

• a pharmacy and health professional locator; and

• the ability to fax or e-mail summary reports to a selected physician.

The DailyCoach application is available for free download from the App Store and Android Market and can be found on the Web at https://dailycoach.quantiacare.com.