According to recent research, as of 2020, 21% of Americans wear a smartwatch or fitness tracker.  With new models each having new capabilities constantly coming out, this number is only sure to rise.  Wearable technology is a great tool, as it allows you to track additional metrics and create new goals with clients.  Even more, with software integrations, many EHR platforms, like Healthie, allow clients to sync their wearables with their client portal, for seamless tracking and logging.

Wearable trackers offer another way for providers to connect with their wellness clients, by adding another medium of client engagement.  With syncing capabilities, providers can easily check in on client progress each day, offering feedback and motivation.  Being able to see daily progress, especially from metrics not usually tracked by wellness professionals, allows providers to have a more comprehensive view of a client’s journey when working with them.  The extra data from wearables  gives providers the ability to personalize wellness goals, so they are realistic and achievable for clients.  

Benefits of wearable technology for wellness providers

1. Accountability

Syncing wearable tech with a patient portal not only allows clients to track their progress over time but also to share that progress with their provider.  Including a provider in this process will help keep clients accountable towards the goals they have set with you; research has shown that people are more likely to achieve a goal when the progress is visible to others.  

When clients share the data from their fitness trackers with you, it adds a layer of accountability when working together.  Clients know you can now see progress within their portal and will be increasingly motivated to demonstrate positive outcomes and upward trends.  They want to prove to not only you but themselves also, that they are capable of making changes in their health and fitness.  

Additionally, wearable fitness trackers add personal accountability.  Each time clients look down at their watch or phone, they are reminded of their health and wellness goals and the progress they’ve made so far each day.  The tracker serves as a constant reminder for clients to stay on track so they can prove to themselves that they can make a positive change in their health.  

2. Versatility

As fitness tracking technology has advanced, clients are able to track much more than just the number of steps they take in a day.  Now, wearables allow for tracking a much more comprehensive set of metrics, including steps, calories burned, miles walked, heart rate, among others.  You can work with clients to choose the metrics that are most relevant to their wellness goals and avoid being bogged down by too many data points.  

Tracking multiple metrics creates a “bigger picture” for clients regarding their health, as opposed to becoming overly-fixated on a single number (like the scale). Discussing these metrics upfront and explaining how you’ll mark progress over time helps your client to have a clear understanding of what to expect. By tailoring the health metrics you’re monitoring for your specific client, they can be reassured that the wellness goals they are working on will have clear health benefits in the long-run.

3. Increased motivation

When working with clients on health and fitness goals, physical progress may not be visible right away.  Leveraging metrics tracking by using a fitness tracker is an easy and convenient way for clients to actually see the progress they’ve made while working with you.  Especially if clients sync their wearables with a patient portal or EHR, they can view progress in the form of graphs or charts generated from their data.

Tracking metrics is a relevant and data-driven way to help clients feel confident in their progress, and propel them to continue working on their goals.  When clients begin to see improved outcomes, it will give them motivation and align them to stay determined and focused throughout their entire journey. For instance, although losing weight isn’t always a linear process, like anything in life there are ups and downs, but seeing results will give them hope in reaching their goals.

How to sync wearable health technology with Healthie EHR

If clients use wearable technology like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, they can sync their device with their Healthie so their data can automatically upload, and be monitored by both client and provider.

Each integration has a slightly different process when syncing the tech to Healthie:

Syncing Apple Health must be done from your client’s iPhone.  Open up the Healthie iOS app, and click on the Navigation menu.  Select the “Integrations” tab towards the bottom of the menu.  Once this page opens, you should see an option to connect Apple Health.  Select that button, and a “Health Access” menu will pop up; select “Turn All Categories On” to track all of the available metrics or select the specific data points you want to track through Healthie.  Finally, select “Allow” to finish the sync.  Data from Apple Health will load into Healthie each time your client opens the Healthie mobile app.  

Fitbit and Google Fit can be synced from either your computer or your mobile device.  On your computer, log in to your Healthie account, and click on the Settings wheel in the upper-righthand corner.  Select the “Integrations” tab, which should open up with a page where you can select which account you would like to sync with Healthie.  Upon selecting, you will be redirected and asked to log in to your Fitbit/Google account, so be sure to have your login information ready.  Data from Fitbit and Google Fit will upload to Healthie once a day, typically in the morning.  

Syncing either of these accounts from your mobile device is similar to Apple Health, in that you must log in to the app, go to the Integrations page, and log in with your information to sync your account of choice.  

Metrics that sync with Healthie

• Physical activity
• Heart Rate
• Weight
• Height
• Mindful Minutes
• Sleep Analysis
• Steps
• Body fat percentage
• Waist circumference
• Macros (in the aggregate, not individual entries)

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Syncing Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and Healthie

If your clients sync a MyFitnessPal account with their Fitbit account, the sync with Healthie will automatically pull in calorie information from MyFitnessPal which will then be shared with you, the provider, in the metrics section.  It will show an aggregate of data, not each individual meal entry.

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Viewing data from wearable sync

Your clients’ synced data will upload in your feed each morning, so you can see each individual entry for the different metrics being tracked.  

To see your client’s data aggregated into graphs and charts, find their client profile, and go to the metrics tab.  Here, certain metrics, such as steps and weight, will be tracked using graphs and charts, so that you and your client can see their progress over a period of time.  

For Healthie Members: here’s our list of resources and help articles to assist you in navigating these integrations.

• Google Fit and Healthie
• Fitbit and Healthie
• Apple Health and Healthie
• Using Healthie Metrics