Read the following case scenario and answer ONE of the questions that follow.
Julie and Rachel had been friends for several years and enjoyed spending time together. Both gained more than 20 pounds and realized they needed to change their eating and exercise habits to lose weight. Julie suggested that they become accountability partners for their weight loss journey. Because they both had smartphones, they decided to use apps to help lose weight. Rachel found several apps to help them determine the number of calories in foods, plan low-calorie meals that were balanced among the food groups, and record food intake. Julie recommended they purchase a reliable mobile sensor that would send data to their smartphones with a Mobile Health app to track their energy expenditure. The app could be synchronized with a website. They could share the progress with friends using a social media plug-in. Julie also found apps that showed exercises for different muscle groups and a sensible running plan that moved them from no exercise to jogging for 1 mile. When one of the friends felt she was about to “”stress eat,”” she would send an “”SOS”” text message to the other. A quick response provided the needed support to avoid food as a stress reducer. Although there were days when they ate foods higher in calories than planned or missed exercise, at the end of 3 months they reached their weight goals.
Note: do not answer both questions – pick one. You don’t need to respond to other students posting(s).
Do Julie and Rachel need to be concerned about their health data on their smartphones or the website? Why or why not?
Should Julie and Rachel be supervised by a healthcare provider to use mHealth apps? Why or why not?
