From SanoLabs, the makers of the Sam app
Find the right health app for your parents
If you are choosing an app for your parents: a good health app is easy to use, can be taken to the practice as a report and says openly what it costs and what it cannot do.
Which five questions should you ask before downloading?
- What does the app do?Does it keep what your parents enter, or does it interpret values? If it interprets, ask who stands behind that.
- What reaches the practice?Look for a report or export the doctor can read.
- What does it really cost?Free, subscription or one-off: the model should be clear before sign-up, including how to cancel.
- Prescribed app or wellness app?Some apps are regulated medical devices that a doctor can prescribe. Wellness apps are not medical devices.
- What happens to the data?Health data is specially protected. Read the privacy policy: who processes it, and can it be deleted?
What kinds of health apps are there?
- Diary appsYour parents enter symptoms or readings, the app collects them.
- Reminder appsThey remind you of medication or appointments.
- Prescribable appsRegulated medical devices a doctor can prescribe in some countries.
- Device appsThey read values from a cuff, a watch or a scale.
Sentences for your parents
You could say Would you try the app for a few days? You can stop any time.
Anyone who may test does not have to commit.
You could say I will show you how to show your entries to the doctor.
Your parents see the use right away.
You could say You decide what you enter and what you show me.
The control stays with your parents.
Sam as one example
One example: what Sam can and cannot do
Sam is a wellness companion for iOS. Here is what the app does and where its limits are, so you can hold it against your questions above.
- Diary and doctor reportEight programs, from high blood pressure to asthma, for conditions a doctor confirmed. Each has a diary and a doctor report.
- Reads Apple HealthSam picks up sleep, heart rate, steps and blood pressure readings from Apple Health. Watches and devices measure, Sam does not.
- Not a medical deviceSam gives no diagnosis, no dosing advice and is no substitute for a doctor or emergency services.
- Sharing by invitation onlyCare Circle passes chosen areas to each person read-only. They need Sam too, and your parent can end it any time.
Sam compared with the everyday way
Instead ofscreenshots and notes in different apps
In SamA PDF report your parents take to the appointment.
Instead ofvalues from a watch, a cuff and a notepad in three places
In SamSam shows entered values and Apple Health data in one place.
Sam is only available on iOS; whether it suits your parents, you decide after trying it.
What adult children often ask
What is the difference between a prescribed health app and a wellness app?+
Some health apps are regulated medical devices that a doctor can prescribe, and in some countries a health system can reimburse them. A wellness app is not a medical device and should not promise a diagnosis.
How do I recognise a trustworthy health app?+
Look at who runs it, whether it is maintained, what it costs, what you can export and delete, and whether it claims too much, for example by promising a medical verdict.
Is Sam a medical device?+
No. Sam is a wellness companion that keeps symptoms, medication and trends. Sam does not diagnose or treat anything.
Can a health app replace the doctor?+
No. An app can prepare the appointment; diagnosis and treatment stay with the doctor. For acute symptoms call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).
Do health apps cost money?+
Not always. Prescribed apps can be reimbursed under conditions in some countries, wellness apps may be free, subscription-based or a one-off purchase. Check price and cancellation before you enter data.
Do my parents need an iPhone?+
Sam needs an Apple device running iOS. Android is not supported so far.
Try it together
Try Sam for free, and you decide afterwards whether it fits.
Sam is a wellness companion and not a medical device. Sam does not diagnose or treat anything and does not replace a doctor. The checklist is general orientation, not medical or legal advice. For acute symptoms call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).