Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. News

These 10 Apple Watch apps will keep you healthy and help you call a doctor when you need one

By

Apple Watch Hands On
Malarie Gokey/Digital Trends
Given the amount of attention the Apple Watch’s fitness capabilities have received — indeed, they were touted at as key features at the smartwatch’s official unveiling in March — it was only a matter of time before more developers jumped on the wellness bandwagon. Over the past week, the Apple Watch accrued support from Kaiser Permanente, WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, and HealthTap among a bevy of other healthcare startups and providers. The plethora of health apps launched just in time to coincide with the HIMSS15 health conference in Chicago.

So how does each new app leverage the Apple Watch’s activity-sensing accelerometer and heartbeat monitor? Most of them don’t, actually. Proving that not every health app need be a fitness tracker, WebMD‘s forthcoming smartphone companion will keep users on their pill schedule and provide detailed medication instructions via Handoff.

Recommended Videos

Meanwhile, HealthTap‘s app presents a button to connect you to a primary care doctor for a $3 per minute video consult. Additionally, cFHR from Anthem and CareEvolution will alert customers of available preventative screenings, prescription refills, and new medical information with wrist buzzes. The new Dexcom Follow and Dexcom Share2 app allows users of Dexcom’s Continuous Glucose Monitor System to track and invite other Apple Watch owners to view glucose levels.

1 of 3
apple watch health apps doximity
Image used with permission by copyright holder
apple watch health apps vocera app
Image used with permission by copyright holder
apple watch health apps web md app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Then, there are the fitness trackers. Kaiser Permanente’s Every Body Walk! app will get an update that’ll allow customers to set fitness goals, track activity, and view statistics from an Apple Watch, and Centered from the Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) will do much the same thing, letting users track daily physical activity and providing tips to reduce stress and improve health.

Related

However, not all of the apps are aimed at consumers, but rather at healthcare professionals. A new version of Doximity will offer Apple Watch-based messaging, wrist notifications for faxes, and actionable colleague invites. Mobile communications service Vocera will add the ability to view and respond to calls, alerts, and messages from other care team members. Drchrono, a similar platform, will soon be able to call up medical records on the Apple Watch.

If there’s a takeaway, here, it’s that companies are flocking to the Apple Watch in droves. Apple announced last week that more than 1,000 apps were already available for the venerable wearable, with many more on the way. Even so, the truth is that despite the range, none of the apps released thus far really solve the Apple Watch’s problem of dispensability. It’s still a luxury item, not a must-have gadget. However, the healthcare industry has a good a chance as anyone of changing that.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Kyle Wiggers
Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
I wore the titanium and aluminum Apple Watch Series 10. This is the one I would buy
A person wearing the titanium Apple Watch Series 10.

For the last few weeks, I’ve worn the latest Apple Watch Series 10 in titanium to find out if it’s the first smartwatch to take me away from only wanting to wear my various quartz and mechanical watches. I wanted to find out if paying more for the titanium version would help it give me that same warm feeling, like meeting up with a good old friend, I get when I put on one of my other favorite watches.

I thought I had the answer quickly, but then things were complicated when the aluminum Series 10 arrived for me to try. It changed my opinion, but was it enough to make me want to return the titanium smartwatch?
It’s not just about the titanium
Titanium Apple Watch Series 10, Milanese Loop band, Reflections watch face Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
TicWatch reveals a $350 Apple Watch Ultra competitor, and it looks great
The TicWatch Atlas

Are you tired of the sky-high prices of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2? Mobvoi's new TicWatch Atlas offers a compelling alternative without breaking the bank. At just $350, this rugged smartwatch packs a punch with a long list of impressive features and a durable design that aims to replicate the "Ultra" smartwatch experience at a much lower price.

Crafted with a sandblasted stainless steel body, the TicWatch Atlas is built to withstand the elements and handle even the most demanding environments. But it's not just about durability; this smartwatch has advanced health and fitness tracking capabilities as well.

Read more
Have a broken Apple Watch Series 10? Good luck trying to repair it
Smart Stack and Live Activity on the Apple Watch Series 10.

We recently wrote about potential improvements to iPhone repairability, and it stirred hope that the Apple Watch Series 10 might also see some of those improvements. Traditionally, the Apple Watch has been a bit problematic when it comes to repair. Sadly, the Series 10 is no different.

Apple has been in a multiyear-long hokey pokey session concerning the right to repair. It will throw its hat in the ring for a little bit, then withdraw it with the following product iteration. So on and so forth. Now that iFixit has released its Apple Watch Series 10 teardown, we finally get a good look at its inner components.

Read more