If you have a smartphone, odds are you’ve downloaded an app to help keep track of your fitness or overall health; nearly 60 percent of all smartphone users have. But only 43 percent of people with a health or fitness app say it’s helped them achieve their goals. At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, that got us thinking: How can we use technology to help more people achieve their goals? The answer was to create a one-stop shop—the Blue Cross Health & Wellness site and app—so it’s easier to stay on top of all the different tracking tools you’re using, while actually getting tips that will help you succeed. Available to all Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network members with medical coverage, the site and app are powered by WebMD. It’s a great way to set goals, get advice and track progress. What does the site do? As a Blue Cross member, you can sync more than 200 different health trackers with the site. That means the step count from your Fitbit, Garmin or Jawbone, food log from MyFitnessPal and weight from your Withings Body Scale all automatically show up in one place. You can even sync other smart health devices, like ones that monitor blood sugar, heart rate or blood pressure. All of a sudden there’s no need to check a dozen different apps and websites—all your data is housed in one place.
What if I don’t use any trackers? There’s still a lot to get out of the site. Another great feature is a program known as your Digital Health Assistant. There, you can set goals and choose activities that help you meet them. There are specific programs for exercising, eating better, reducing stress, quitting smoking, improving mood and losing weight. Think of it like a nutritionist, personal trainer or life coach, supporting you 24/7.
And because sometimes you need a little help deciding what to focus on, the site has an assessment that can give you an idea of how healthy you are and make suggestions for improvement. It also houses different exercise videos, healthy recipes, quizzes, slideshows, a symptom checker and articles to help you be your best self.
For more information on using Blue Cross’ health and wellness resources, check out the video below or log into your account on bcbsm.com.
Looking for more ways to stay healthy with help from Blue Cross? You may also like these blogs:
- Get Health and Wellness Tips Delivered Straight to Your Inbox
- At Your Fingertips: How to Utilize Health Care Tools
- 24/7 Care and Wellness Programs Keep You Healthy Around the Clock
Photo credit: Alex Matavers
