Small Steps, Big Changes: Habit Tracker for Your Health

Striking a Balance Between Health Analytics and Engaging Features

In today's digital era, health and lifestyle apps have flooded the market, promising a wide array of benefits from fitness tracking to nutrition planning and focusing on trendy features, such as step counting, calorie tracking, and habit monitoring. While  the surge in app development is undoubtedly a positive sign of society's growing interest in health and wellness features can be engaging and motivate users to adopt healthier lifestyles, they often lack the depth required for serious health analytics. 

In contrast, the intersection of health analytics and engaging features is where true innovation lies. Today's users are not just looking for apps that track their steps; they desire solutions that integrate seamlessly with their healthcare journey.

Toward Comprehensive Health-Connected Apps

The next generation of health-connected apps should strive for a harmonious blend of real health analytics and engaging features. 

Tools like InterSystems FHIR play a pivotal role in achieving this balance. By adhering to FHIR standards, developers can create applications that not only engage users with trendy features but also securely integrate with healthcare systems, providing access to critical health data collected during medical visits, such as vital signs and diagnostic results. This synergy between analytics and engagement creates a comprehensive health app experience.

Project presentation video: 
https://youtu.be/HX2kav4HRpg

Case in Point: Health Harbour App

Consider an app that combines serious health analytics with trendy features. Users can seamlessly view their laboratory results, medication history directly within the app. Simultaneously, they engage in habit challenges, set wellness goals, and receive personalized recommendations based on their unique health profile.

The application allows the patient to access their medical data. The Patient info section displays the patient's personal information, including name, date of birth, and phone number. Under the "Observation" tab, the patient can select a tracking option, which allows them to monitor certain aspects of their health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, etc. The "Care Plan" tab prompts the patient to select a care plan, which may include a personalized treatment plan or recommendations for lifestyle changes. This system empowers patients to be more informed and actively participate in the process of treatment and health maintenance.

Part of the app is devoted to setting goals to improve the patient's health. It underscores the importance of celebrating small accomplishments on the road to wellness, such as a morning stretch, a nutritious meal, or a moment of meditation. A holistic approach to health is emphasized, where each positive choice has an impact on a person's physical, mental and emotional well-being. The user is invited to choose a healthy habit from a list (such as exercise or walking) or set their own for the next 30 days, which encourages the systematic adoption of healthy habits and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

Technologies and tools were used to develop the application:

• Server part is based on InterSystems IRIS for Health and FHIR SQL Builder ;
• GUI part is made with TypeScript with Angular framework;

User data processing
For more convenient and efficient conversion of FHIR server data into SQL server data, the fhir sql builder tool was used in IRIS. Builder analyzes the InterSystems IRIS for Health FHIR repository to create summary information, including the types of resources, the elements and values it contains, and the number of resources of each type. You decide which FHIR resources and elements to include in your custom SQL projection and how to map them.It allows to work with FHIR server data without having to learn new query syntax.

Thanks:

Our team is grateful to InterSystems and Banksia Global for providing us with the chance to engage with advanced technology while addressing critical contemporary issues faced by people. We are optimistic that our open-source Health Harbour project will empower our peers to foster innovation and tackle intricate healthcare challenges, thereby contributing to the well-being and health.

Developers of project:

• Backend: Maria Gladkova
• Frontend: Katsiaryna Shaustruk
• Backend: Maria Nesterenko
• QA / design: Alena Krasinskiene