There’s no shortage of fitness- and health-related apps for smart phones like the iPhone and those based on Android, but we could soon see apps that are approved by the U.S. federal government.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is launching the Healthy Apps Challenge, a project the ONC is teaming up with the Surgeon General to encourage software developers to create new apps that promote fitness and fitness. The project is one way the ONC is trying to help Americans lead healthier lifestyles and combat major issues such as obesity, by helping them become more aware of their health-related choices.
In a statement, the Surgeon General’s office said, “Consumer electronic health (e-health), new media, and mobile technologies have great potential to connect individuals, including those in underserved and hard-to-reach communities, to health care resources and decision-making supports, enabling healthier lifestyle decisions,” the Surgeon General’s office said in a statement. “The challenge will highlight a selection of mobile apps in support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) efforts to empower individuals to make healthy choices using electronic technology.”
Apps submitted into the challenge will be reviewed by an independent panel selected by Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin. There will be three categories: fitness/physical activity, nutrition/healthy eating, and integrative health. Winning apps in these categories will be chosen in January, and the Surgeon General will use each winning app and write about her experiences.
U.S. Surgeon General’s Healthy Apps Challenge Official Website
[via Computerworld: Feds launch ‘Healthy App Challenge’]