Walk n Play iPhone Application – Tracks Every Move You Make and Creates A Report

This is a very interesting bit of software that is also free to download to use with an iPhone. It is slated as a “game’ and allows an individual to complete with other individuals using the software and creates full 24 hour report of every move you make and how many calories were burned. This is a free application that can be download from the iTunes store. The iPhone has a built in accelerometer to sense motion that makes this possible. The National Center for Human Performance at the Texas Medical Center is conducting tests to see and evaluate the process.

All you need to do is log in, and carry your phone around with you as one would normally do and the phone goes to work. In addition, when creating your personalized settings, you can also designate where the phone will be worn or kept.

You can search for “buddies” too, again allowing for some friendly competition. This looks very interesting as far as design and how it can perhaps be a nice tool, and we have the “social” end of the solution here, but business and employers are also showing an interest with Wellness and health insurance information.

From a previous post:

Redbrick’s methods for tracking employees’ commitment to these health plans are surprisingly detailed (though they may smack a bit of Big Brother). For example, it offers an iPhone application that records progress on a person’s walking exercises and beams the data back to Redbrick’s system. Pedometers and watches that do the same are also in the works, VentureWire reports. This might sound a tad invasive, but the company says that employers have the choice whether or not to make employees prove that they are following their custom health maps.

Redbrick’s methods for tracking employees’ commitment to these health plans are surprisingly detailed (though they may smack a bit of Big Brother). For example, it offers an iPhone application that records progress on a person’s walking exercises and beams the data back to Redbrick’s system. Pedometers and watches that do the same are also in the works, VentureWire reports. This might sound a tad invasive, but the company says that employers have the choice whether or not to make employees prove that they are following their custom health maps.

I am guessing this is also the application being used by some insurers in coordination with their Wellness Programs to send information to the system Wellness system. It could also be another software solution built on the same platform. Target Stores also announced their new Wellness Program with the same insurer listed and incentives are offered to employees who electronically connect and participate, and somewhere down the line I’m guessing there’s an incentive for Target with employee participation.

Target Corporation Partners with Red Brick Wellness Program

At some point in time the clinical reporting solution here is certainly a possibility to grow, so now where does the patient’s physician come in, let’s say if the patient were on a treatment plan and solution to work on a weight problem? As a game, a nice incentive, but where’s the next step in the progression? Will platforms of such be used in coordination with health care, sure they will and where does it go if the patient wants to share their information, just as they would with a Bluetooth scale, a glucose monitor or blood pressure device?

I believe the PHR, or personal health record might be the solution here too, so when it expands beyond a social game and data generated is used to evaluate a patient’s performance, two things need to be kept in mind, one would be the patient’s ability to choose who to share the information with and second, the role of the physician and keeping them involved in any Wellness programs in place so avoid conflict of what is best for the patient. When evaluation begins outside of just social and recreational use we have an entire new ball game arising and now we might see some new definitions and processes that could evolve into the new “meaningful use” discussions taking place.

Implementation is the key to the entire process and this is more than likely only the beginning of devices that report data and more than likely there will be more to follow soon, so which portions are a game and when does this information become relative to patient care and how will it be used. BD

Walk n Play - Walk n Play is an iPhone application. The application is a smart addition in the existing health and fitness category of highly interesting iPhone applications. The application has made its way into the market on 1st March 2009 for the constant efforts of Computational Physiology Lab.

Walk n Play will hope fully add an x- factor to the fitness regimen of the fitness freaks. It will not only help you to burn calories but at the same time it will allow you to enjoy the exercise. It will turn the regular hours of exercise of yours into a fun time.

Walk n Play iPhone App | Improve Your Health and Fitness with Walk n Play iPhone App

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