Public health app keeps track of Stockholmers’ health and the care they need

LIFE SCIENCE & MEDICAL

Through data collection in the app Hälsometern, Region Stockholm can measure citizens’ health to map illnesses and risk factors at an early stage. Thus, healthcare and health-promoting efforts can be adapted to Stockholmers’ actual needs, while researchers get data for new health findings and app users get a tool to monitor their health.

Simple and effective data collection through an app

The app replaces the pen-and-paper survey that the Center for Epidemiology and Community Medicine (CES) within Region Stockholm sends out every fourth year to 50,000 randomly selected Stockholmers, to gather health data.

Over time, fewer people have chosen to respond to the pen-and-paper survey and CES has been getting more responses from older target groups than younger ones. This led to a need for a new method to gather data on dietary habits, exercise, and alcohol use.

Hälsometern has made collection of health data simpler and more modern. In addition, CES reaches more target groups and gathers more stringent data, which are used as decision support regarding infrastructure and healthcare in Region Stockholm.

Data provide insights into health problems and living habits

Hälsometern, which CES has developed together with Knowit, is available for both iPhone and Android phones. Responses about health and living habits are given through surveys in the app, while data on physical activity are gathered using integrations against Health (iPhone) and Google Fitness (Android) in order to get the most correct values possible.

Using the app, Region Stockholm can learn more about different living habits, diseases, and symptoms. This can provide information about why health problems arise, how they affect the population, and how they can be prevented.

The app user, for their part, gets an overview of their diet and exercise habits and can follow health developments over time.

The longitudinal data gathered can also be used for research. Currently, CES is working on a scientific publication showing how Stockholmers’ physical activity was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of steps from walks and runs registered in Hälsometern are the basis for the results and conclusions presented.

Dynamic and flexible survey tool

Independently administrating surveys is part of CES’ vision. Therefore, Knowit has developed the survey tool in Hälsometern so that CES can create and manage surveys in the app on its own, whether they are for long-term or temporary data collection efforts in the relevant areas.

CES can use functionalities like creating, editing, activating, and inactivating surveys through the tool, as well as sending notifications to the users.

The result is a dynamic and flexible survey tool, with which CES can gather better data for decision support and research.

How the solution contributes to Agenda 2030

CES is striving to create good and equal health. Hälsometern contributes to the SDGs in the following ways:

3. Good health and well-being – through surveys regarding public health issues where knowledge is currently lacking, CES strengthens the possibilities of adapting society and healthcare to current needs, which can improve health.

5 & 10. Gender equality & reduced inequalities – the data collection enabled by Hälsometern means that CES can map gaps in equality, such as health differences between genders, and exposure to sexual harassment. Hälsometern also provides data that reveal differences in health and living conditions for different groups in society, for instance based on socioeconomic factors, country of birth, or sexual orientation. Using the decision support and interventions devised by CES, decisionmakers can make changes to increase equality and reduce inequalities.

12. Responsible consumption and production – less paper and transportation are needed for data collection through Hälsometern. Decreased waste.