Digital helpers: 13 apps that make your life healthierEntering symptoms for a diagnosis into your cell phone, ordering a prescription via app or checking whether the food you buy is healthy – with the help of your smartphone, you can also manage your own health – now even on prescription. FIT FOR FUN presents 13 health apps.
By Luisa Hohenbrink, online editor and Katharina Klein, health editor Updated: 15.01.2021
– Apps for medical advice – Specialty apps – Nutrition apps – Anti-stress apps
Apps on the smartphone can now also be used to good effect for one's own health.
There are applications for the prevention of diseases, for the search for a doctor and the direct contact to the doctor or also for health promotion through stress reduction or a healthy diet.
Since the 1. January 2021, when the "Digital Health Care Act" (DVG) comes into force, some health apps can even be prescribed by a doctor – so that the statutory health insurance will pay for them. The app must be approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs. Medical devices (BfArM) to have been approved as a health app. – The attending physician has prescribed an approved app on prescription. – A well-founded diagnosis justifying the use is available.
We present 13 helpful health apps.
Notice: Whether a takeover of the costs of use by the own health insurance, should be done in consultation with the attending physician or directly with the health insurance company.
Apps for medical consultation
Apps that provide personal health data should be reviewed with privacy in mind before use.
According to the consumer center, some health apps "are to be evaluated very critically with regard to data protection."
The German Federal Ministry of Health recommends that before downloading a health app, make sure it is up-to-date, has been developed by qualified individuals or companies, and whether there is a full privacy policy in place.
Reputable apps transparently state whether and how data is stored. User reviews can also provide a first impression.
Function: Symptom analysis
Cost: FREE
Security: Ada says it is working with leading companies, regulators and industry to ensure a transpartent security system. User data is encrypted.
Instead of looking for the right disease for your symptoms in a search engine, you can enter your symptoms directly into the app Ada.
TK-Doc
FunctionSymptom analysis/doctor contact Cost: Free of charge (but only for TK-insured persons)
Techniker Krankenkasse has its own app that establishes personal contact with a medical center. For acute symptoms or general health tips, people can talk to a doctor via text chat, video chat, mail or phone.
Photos and documents – such as X-rays – can also be transmitted with the app.
The app is particularly suitable for assessing common illnesses or questions about medications.
TK Doc Is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Feature: electronic health record
Cost: Free for insured with a partner insurance plan, free for non-members with a lower level of coverage Safety: According to the company, customer data is secured with end-to-end asymmetric encryption. This ensures that personal information cannot be accessed by any insurance company, Vivy or physicians without the patient's explicit consent. The Vivy app works like an electronic health record. Bundles all health data in one. Lab results, medication schedules, emergency data and vaccinations can be accessed in one place. In addition, the app informs you about doctor's appointments. Upcoming preventive care appointments. With information on possible interactions. The app also provides individual tips. Some statutory and private health insurers such as Allianz, Gothaer, DAK, ikk and Barmenia offer the app free of charge for their insureds.
Vivy Is available in the Apple Store and Google Play.
App for the Doc
Function: Doctor contact
Cost: free
Safety: According to its own information, personal data is only stored in encrypted form on the smartphone. The app can be protected by security settings like a pin.
App zum Doc makes contact with doctors and pharmacists easier and possible everywhere. Appointments can be made at participating practices and referrals and prescriptions can be ordered.
The medication plan is simultaneously digitized and can be accessed on the go. Requests and images can be sent directly to the responsible doctor.
App to the Doc is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
Special apps
Tinnitracks
Function: Tinnitus therapy
Cost: free trial version, 19 Euro per month for the full version (some health insurances cover the costs)
Those who suffer from tinnitus can do therapy via app – there is a choice between basic and neuro therapy. Basic therapy teaches coping strategies in different lessons.
In neurotherapy, Tinnitracks adapts your favorite music to your individual tinnitus frequency. Those who listen to the optimized music for 90 minutes a day should be able to get rid of their tinnitus after 12 months.
To use the app, a prior diagnosis from an ENT doctor is required to determine individual tinnitus frequency.
Tinnitracks Is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Sleepzy sleep phase alarm clock
How well do I sleep? Sleepzy tracks and analyzes the quality and depth of your own sleep using the microphone on your smartphone.
Based on the data, the technology determines the ideal time to wake up and wakes users up with their own favorite music. With relaxing sounds, the app also helps you fall asleep. Shows sleep patterns the next morning (z.B.B. snoring) from the previous night.
Sleepzy is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
Pollen forecast
Function: Pollen count forecast
Cost: for free
What pollen is flying today? Allergy sufferers get a daily overview of where which pollen is flying in Germany in the pollen forecast app. A current forecast for the next seven days is also displayed. Data is available for 15 allergy-causing plants. Are updated three times a day.
Personal exposure can be recorded with the help of a pollen diary.
Pollen count forecast Is available in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Nutrition apps
Code Check
How much salt, fat and sugar are in foods? With Code Check, products in the supermarket can be easily scanned – a nutrient traffic light shows whether the values are in a healthy or rather unhealthy range.
At the same time, they tell you how sustainable the product is and whether it contains microplastics or palm oil, for example.
If a product is deemed unhealthy, you get a suggestion for a healthier alternative.
This works not only with food, but also with cosmetics.
Ratings are based on data sources such as the Consumer Reporting Center or the California Department of Public Health.
Codecheck is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
What I eat
The app Was ich esse (What I eat) developed by the Federal Institute for Agriculture and Food (BZfE) supports the path to a healthy diet.
The user can enter what and how much he has eaten in a day. The food is then entered into the food pyramid of the BZfE.
In a daily or weekly log, this creates an overview of how healthy someone is eating and whether too much fat or sugar has been consumed.
This is not about counting calories.
Measurements are taken with a hand measure as a portion model.
Daily and weekly logs can be sent directly to the dietitian via email, SMS or WhatsApp.
What I eat Is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Drink Alarm Clock
To provide our bodies with sufficient fluids, the German Nutrition Society recommends drinking about 1.5 liters of fluid per day through beverages alone.
In the hectic everyday life, however, it is easy to forget to reach for a glass of water. To ensure regular water intake, an app like Drink Alarm Clock can help with this.
This calculates the individual water requirement depending on weight and sends reminders to the smartphone when it's time to reach for the glass again.
Drink alarm clock is available in the Apple Store.
Anti-stress apps
Function: Relaxation and meditation Costs: Three basic meditation journeys are free, premium subscription for 15.99 euros per month
The Calm app helps you relax and find peace after a stressful day. Guided mediations and breathing programs focus on mindfulness and recovery.
Stories to help you fall asleep are thought to provide restful sleep.
Topics covered include breaking bad habits, gratitude and forgiveness.
For beginners and advanced users, the app offers a 7- and 21-day program.
Calm Is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
Zenify
Function: Mindfulness
Cost: the first levels are free for testing, further levels of meditation and mindfulness techniques are available for 2.29 euros
Zenify sends push notifications to smartphone throughout the day. These contain small meditation exercises, which can be integrated simply into the everyday life. They are to prevent stress. Contribute to relaxation.
The interval at which the notifications are sent can be configured individually.
Zenify is available in the Apple Store and on Google Play.
7Mind
FunctionMeditation Cost: 11,99 Euro per month, some health insurances cover the costs
7Mind helps you learn meditation and mindfulness with various course offerings. There is a choice of a variety of guided meditations to help wind down from work stress and actively relax.