Aetna, Apple launch AI-based app to achieve personal health goals
Aetna, in collaboration with Apple, launched a new health app to provide users with personalized health goals. Dubbed Attain, the app will be used in partnership with the Apple Watch to track daily activity levels, recommend healthy actions and improve nutrition and sleep habits.
The app launch aligns with recent predictions that Apple Watch’s health monitoring capabilities would increasingly become adopted by healthcare organizations. The Apple Watch is already used in a study on eating disorders and a heart study, as well as the monitoring of hip and knee replacement patients.
Attain users will have the option to share their program data and health history with Apple. The science behind the Attain app is the usage of analytics and machine learning, which will offer more personalized recommendations to users to “give greater context and decrease barriers to healthcare.”
Users will be provided personalized daily and weekly activity goals based on age, gender and weight. Some activities—including swimming and yoga—will be measured using the Apple Watch. Additionally, the app and watch combination will offer personalized nutrition and sleep recommendations.
“We believe that people should be able to play a more active role in managing their well-being,” Apple COO Jeff Williams said in a prepared statement. “Every day, we receive emails and letters from people all over the world who have found great benefit by incorporating Apple Watch into their lives and daily routines. As we learn over time, the goal is to make more customized recommendations that will help members accomplish their goals and live healthier lives.”
Another major health insurance provider, Humana, has similarly launched an initiative to reward its members through a digital health wellness program, Go365, utilizing Fitbit and other platforms.
There are four key components to the Attain program: achieve activity goals, sustain everyday health, receive personalized health notifications for key health moments and earn rewards.
As a reward for participating in the program, eligible users will have the ability to earn their Apple Watch.
“We’re designing Attain to be personalized and clinically relevant to where each individual is in their health journey,” said Alan Lotvin, MD, executive vice president of transformation at CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company. “This is an ambitious challenge, and we will adapt and improve over time to create the best experience for our members.”
The Attain app will be available for purchase in Spring 2019.
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.