MyCarolinas Tracker APP Emerges as First Comprehensive Platform Integrating Multiple Wearables and Electronic Health Records

As the MyCarolinas Tracker app launched in the Carolinas region of the United States, the local healthcare system quietly began developing its first-generation integrated application, capable of consolidating health tracking and electronic medical records. Although the app has been in pilot operation for several months, its significance has yet to be recognized.

MyCarolinas Tracker APP

Last year, Apple partnered with Epic Systems to integrate HealthKit with patient data, a significant undertaking. Currently, Epic Systems covers more than 50% of patients in the United States and has become the most widely adopted electronic health record (EHR) system for hospitals. Stanford University, which uses Epic’s EHR system, has already integrated HealthKit data into its MyHealth app for several months. Other hospitals are following suit.

Integrating HealthKit data into patients’ electronic health records is undoubtedly a “cool” feat. However, Fitbit, the most popular wearable device, has yet to achieve compatibility with the HealthKit system.
Carolina HealthCare System’s MyCarolinas Tracker app has moved beyond its reliance on Apple and Google to become a new intermediary. This health-tracking app has integrated at least 25 health trackers, three pulse oximeters, and seven Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuffs.

If you prefer not to connect all wearable devices directly, you can still use the Apple Health app as an intermediary. Furthermore, you can integrate Movescount, a cross-platform application compatible with both Android and iOS that connects to various medical devices. Connectivity is just one feature of the app; you can also set health and wellness goals and track your progress against key health metrics.

Moves health APP

Physicians can access all relevant patient information through their electronic medical records (EMRs). The Carolina healthcare system uses Canopy as its EMR platform rather than Epic’s EMR product. It is likely that the Carolina healthcare system had already been using Epic for many years, given that hospital systems have spent billions of dollars on Epic.

Why Is This App Considered Highly Valuable?

Wearable devices and medical trackers are all part of clinical practice, which naturally includes physicians reviewing electronic medical records.
Here is the clinical scenario: A 56-year-old male has just started taking antihypertensive medication. The patient experiences dizziness and symptoms of hypotension. By using the MyCarolinas Tracker app, which automatically connects to a blood pressure cuff, blood pressure readings can be tracked. These data are subsequently recorded in the patient’s medical record, allowing the attending physician to easily monitor the patient’s blood pressure readings and facilitate appropriate titration of antihypertensive therapy.

In fact, such scenarios can be applied to weight loss, glucose management, and other areas. The MyCarolinas Tracker app can reach hundreds of thousands of patients, so its impact on public healthcare is substantial.

If similar apps were developed in hospitals in Silicon Valley or New York, they would surely receive widespread acclaim. The MyCarolinas Tracker app has the potential to achieve what many healthcare apps have yet to accomplish—namely, collecting data from wearable devices and applying it in clinical practice, thereby benefiting thousands of patients and physicians.



Translation: Liu Jianqiu

Responsible Editor: Zhang Nan