Most health apps debut on Apple's iOS for iPhone and then make their way to Android. Some even move to the BlackBerry platform or in rarer cases the Windows Phone 7 OS, which recently launched. Very few health apps created by well known healthcare organizations launch on a smartphone platform other than Apple's, however, two payors decided to go down that launch path in recent months.
United Health Group subsidiaries OptumHealth announced the launch of its OptumizeMe app in time with the launch of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS. The buzz around the new Microsoft smartphone platform's launched helped bring the spotlight on OptumizeMe, which was touted as the first health-related app for the new OS. OptumizeMe enables users to challenge friends to fitness competitions and trade "encouragement and digs" along the way. Those staffing the OptumHealth booth at the recent CTIA Wireless event in Orlando, Florida told MobiHealthNews that the app had attracted about 9,000 downloads since last November. For a new health app on a brand new smartphone platform maybe that's not too surprising. Some 9 percent of American adults have health apps on their phone after all, although Parks found that 21 percent of smartphone owners it had surveyed in mid-2010 had fitness apps like OptumizeMe on their phones.
This week Optum announced that the OptumizeMe app was now available for iPhone users and Android devices users, too.
Another payor, Aetna, announced the number of downloads one of its wellness apps has logged to date: Aetna Student Health Calorie Tracker app for BlackBerry users has had "close to 1,700 downloads" to date, according to the company. The app is available for download from Aetna's website but the free app does not appear to be listed in the BlackBerry App World store. The tracker is also available for other smartphone users who can access it via their mobile browsers at aetnastudenthealth.com/caltrack.
“Our goal is to help students make thoughtful, health conscious decisions. We know that one way to communicate effectively with students is through social media,” Chekesha Kidd, head of Aetna Student Health, stated in the press release. “We are pleased with the positive feedback we have received on our social media communications from students, parents, colleges and universities.”
According to Aetna, the mobile app helps students count calories and delivers daily nutrition and fitness tips. It includes calorie information on more than 70,000 food and beverage items from popular restaurants and brands, according to the Aetna press release.
For more on OptumizeMe, read the press release below:
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., March 21, 2011 — OptumHealth, one of the nation’s largest health and wellness companies, today announced the release of its OptumizeMe mobile application for iPhone and Android devices. Initially launched for Windows® Phone 7 devices, OptumizeMe is now also available for free on these two widely used mobile operating systems.
With the OptumizeMe application, people can create and challenge each other to fitness competitions and trade both encouragement and “digs” along the way. Users can network with friends using the app or link to their existing social networks to create new fitness challenges. The application tracks their progress on challenges and rewards them with virtual badges as they achieve their goals.
“OptumizeMe helps people connect with their friends to attain their health and fitness goals using social media in a fun, interactive way,” said Rob Webb, CEO of OptumHealth’s Care Solutions business. “As our society shifts toward socially connected healthy living, OptumizeMe can serve as the perfect app to help people get the results they want.”
To extend its reach to other popular social networks, OptumizeMe is integrated with FacebookSM, which has 200 million mobile users1. With OptumizeMe, users can invite friends from their social networks and share healthy doses of motivation or create friendly competitions to achieve their health and fitness goals. This user-friendly app gives people the tools they need to create, join and track their own health and fitness progress through health-inspired challenges.
Future versions of the app will enable users to connect with virtual personal health coaches, making the application even more powerful in helping people achieve their health and fitness goals.
According to a recent New England Journal of Medicine report2, healthy behavior actually spreads through social connections. Whether an individual wants to run a race, cut down on salt intake or exercise for five minutes a day, OptumizeMe can help rally the support and motivation needed to succeed. To keep users going strong, OptumizeMe also awards virtual badges for actions such as achieving goals and creating challenges.
The OptumizeMe mission of better health through social interaction will be featured at the 2011 international CTIA Wireless Conference in Orlando, Fla., March 22-24. At CTIA, OptumHealth will conduct an onsite Walking Challenge open to all CTIA attendees. Conference attendees can sign up for the challenge, motivate their peers and track their steps through OptumizeMe. Those who stride the farthest will be rewarded with an iPhone or Android mobile device, an iPad® or an Amazon KindleTM.
About OptumHealth
OptumHealth helps nearly 60 million Americans navigate the health care system, finance their health care needs and achieve their health and well-being goals. The company’s personalized health advocacy and engagement programs tap a unique combination of capabilities that encompass care solutions, behavioral solutions, collaborative care, and financial services. For more information about OptumHealth, visit www.optumhealth.com.
