Health Data.
This is where we collate a number of physical aspects about your body.
Naturally this includes weight, but just as importantly we also display body fat and body measurements.
Let's consider each health dimension
But if you would like an overview on how health data is displayed in the app, refer to the Viewing Your Data section.
The Body screen is comprised of four different reading types: Weight, Body Fat, BMI & Measurements.
Each chart is accessed by tapping on the relevant tab across the top of the screen.
Weight
The Body screen is where your weight readings are displayed. Whether you enter these periodically or let them stream in from your electronic scales, all your readings are displayed here.
Body Fat
Modern electronic scales do a wonderful job of not only effortlessly capturing and streaming your current weight, but also measuring your body fat percentage. If your electronic scales provide this biometric reading, it can be seamlessly sent to the app. Just add your electronic scales via your preferred integration.
BMI
BMI is an approximate measure of your total body fat. It is not nearly as accurate as body fat measured on a set of electronic scales and can be very misleading.
BMI is a measure that has been traditionally used by health professionals as a biomarker to help assess your health risks and as such we calculate and store it in the app. However, it is now becoming more accepted that a waist measurement is a better indicator. As such, we also allow you to capture your waist measurement (see Body Measurements).
Body Measurements
On this tab you are able to capture and display various measurements across your body.
As mentioned above, a waist measurement is an important data point to provide an understanding of your health risks and you can capture it here.
Also, if you are working with a personal trainer, you often track some important measurements, such as your hips and thigh measurements. These can all be tracked on this tab.
On this table, we also indicate your progress from measurement-to-measurement. The grey arrows indicate if your latest measurement is higher or lower than the previous measurement.
The Physical screen is where you can view your physical activity, in terms of both step count and exercise workouts.
Each chart is accessed by tapping on the relevant tab across the top of the screen.
Step Count
This tab display your step count as captured and transferred from your connected wearable (or phone). As your step count is updated throughout the day on your wearable, it is sent to the app and shows how you are traveling against your goal and minimum steps. You can modify your goal and minimum in the Goals screen.
Wearables & Apps
The app connects to a wide range of wearables, devices and apps that capture step count. Any of these third party inputs that can connect to Apple Health or Google Fit can send data to the app. For more information on connecting your device or app, see the Devices & Apps section of the Profile screen.
Avoiding duplicate entries
We understand that some app users will have multiple wearable devices that capture step count. For example, you may like to wear your smart watch to capture you steps during the week, but use your sports wearable for your weekend workouts.
We have purposefully designed the app to ensure that double-counting of step count cannot occur. We do this by only displaying the step count from one device each day. We select the device that has the largest number of steps for that day.
Workouts
We have the ability to capture workouts, as well as your step count. Workout represent particular intense exercise activities, such as going to the gym or going for a run.
Capturing your workouts can be important when tracking against an exercise regime given to your by a health professional and stored in your health plan. In these cases, you may be set particular exercise routines to complete (as opposed to just hitting a particular step goal). Recording your workouts (and ticking off items on your health plan) allow you to show compliance to your assigned exercise activities.
These workouts can also stream in from your connected devices and apps. Depending on the source device or app, the definition of what constitutes a workout may vary. We try to cater for each of these.
Exercise Goal
Since your workouts may be spread periodically throughout your week (for example, you most likely don't workout everyday), we track your progress against a weekly workout goal. In other words, you can set your goal of a certain number of hours a week. The app totals your workouts throughout the week to check your progress as the week progresses.
The Heart screen is comprised of two different reading types: Brachial Blood Pressure and Pulse Wave Analysis (only available in the CardiAction app).
Each chart is accessed by tapping on the relevant tab across the top of the screen.
Brachial BP
Your brachial BP is your blood pressure as recorded peripherally (e.g. on your arm). It is the standard way that blood pressure is measured. We use the description "brachial" to differentiate from "central" blood pressure, which is measured using a pulse wave analyser (for CardiAction users only).
The app captures blood pressure measurements as recorded on connected devices and apps.
The progress circle for Brachial BP is measured against standards clinical target ranges (e.g. 130 mmHg is considered the threshold for hypertension or high blood pressure).
Resting Heart Rate
When your device sends your brachial BP measurement, it also sends your resting heart rate at the time the measurement was taken. It is displayed in the chart at the bottom of this screen.
Pulse Wave
The Pulse Wave tab is only displayed in the CardiAction app. It shows your pulse wave readings that come from a Pulse Wave Analyser (PWA). PWA provides excellent insight into your central blood pressure and your arterial stiffness.
Central blood pressure is much more helpful in understanding the health of your heart and is often different to your brachial blood pressure.
Further to that, an understanding of your arterial stiffness is very important in understanding your overall cardiovascular risk and the most appopriate interventions.
Table View
Your pulse wave readings can also be viewed in a table format. Pressing this button will take your to the table view.
Lifestyle Recommendations
When your pulse wave is recorded, your clinician will make a decision as to the best lifestyle guidance applicable to your current health status. When you press this button, you will be taken the your individual lifestyle recommendations report.
Pulse Wave Report
Each pulse wave reading taken is accompanied by the pulse wave report, which gives extra detail into your pulse wave reading. This report can be accessed by pressing this button.
Online Store
To allow you to buy applicable products, such as supplements, this button will take you to the purchase page.
The Bloodwork screen is comprised of two different reading types: Blood Sugar and Blood Tests.
Each chart is accessed by tapping on the relevant tab across the top of the screen.
Blood Sugar
To allow you to track your blood sugar readings over time, the app take blood sugar measurements that are captured by connected devices and apps. Any glucometer that can connect to Apple Health can stream data in to the app.
Like all health data in the app, your health professional will also be able to see these readings.
Add Blood Sugar
If you don't yet have your glucometer connected to the app, you can enter the blood sugar reading manually, by pressing the Add button.
As you would expect, you are able to specify when the reading was taken, with respect to both meals and medications.
Blood Tests
The app allows your to capture blood test results provided to you from your pathology lab via your doctor. We do not currently have an integration to allow these health datapoints to stream into the app, however the can be added manually.
Your entries in the table are coloured differently depending on how they are associated with standard clinical targets for each blood test type. The app also displays an arrow, which shows if a reading value has increased or decreased. The colour of the arrow then indicates whether the increase or decrease is good or bad. For example a decrease is Total Cholesterol is good (hence green), whereas a decrease in HDL is actually not good (hence red).
Test Kits
Certain blood tests can be taken and registered at home. These are designated with a 'down' arrow next to the blood test name (see previous screenshot for Omega 3 and Vitamin D). Pressing the 'down' arrow button reveals the options available for home test kits (see below).
Online Store
Use this button to take you to the website to purchase your 'at home' blood test. Once the blood test arrives, you can then perform the test and register it.
Register Blood Kit
Once you have taken your 'at home' blood test, you can register your test by pressing this button. It will allow you to enter the test number or scan using your phone's camera. After the test is registered you can then post the test to the blood testing lab, as per the instructions that came with the test. After registering a test, the test status will be displayed along with the test kit number.
Blood Test Report
This will display the associated report as provided by the blood testing laboratory.
Whilst we know that not all calories are created equal (so to speak), sometimes it is useful to understand how your energy intake compares to your energy burn.
The Energy screen displays your current nett energy expenditure, which is equal to Energy In minus Energy Out.
Energy In
Your energy intake can be entered manually or taken from a connected app, such as MyFitnessPal.
If you have a nutrition plan, it may already have specified the number of calories associated with each item in your meal plan. In this case, if you check off the meal or snack as completed in your health plan, your energy intake for that meal or snack is captured automatically.
Energy Out
The app calculates your daily energy burn, by totalling the energy expended by all of your physical activity. This includes energy expended via your step count and workouts. Most modern wearables to a good job of estimating this total energy expenditure and not double-counting steps and workouts.
Nett Energy
The black line on the chart tracks your nett energy for the day. The Energy progress circle shows how your nett energy is tracking against your defined goal (see Goals screen for more information about setting your energy goal).
Note: The energy progress circle does not show until at least one energy intake entry has been made. We figure that until that is done, you are not actively tracking nett energy for that day.
Sleep
The Sleep screen your daily sleep hours. If you are connected to third party devices and apps, your sleep data can stream into the app seamlessly. Refer to the Devices & Apps section of the Profile screen for more information on connecting to your wearables and apps.
If you don't have a connected device or app, you can enter your sleep data manually, by pressing the Add button.
Add Sleep
The Add Sleep pop-up will allow you to enter the duration (if you know it) or alternatively the app will calculate the duration, if you specify when you went to sleep and when you woke up.
Water Intake
Keeping track of your water intake can be an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Your body needs to be well hydrated to allow it to perform well and keep you healthy.
Use the Add button to enter the volume of water you consume throughout the day. Alternatively, if you keep track by drinking from your favourite water bottle, you can enter the total once at the end of the day.