In a previous article I described the shortcomings of the "daily diary" style of health logging. Here are 5 reasons why HealthPixel is better.
1. Accurate timestamps. It automatically records the exact moment you tap each button. So, you can see that you drank coffee, then got stomach pain 1 hour later. If you just recorded your health on a daily basis, your records wouldn't even show whether you drank the coffee before or after the stomach ache started!
2. Fits naturally into your routine. Each time you drink coffee, you open the app and tap the "coffee" button. After a few times, it becomes an automatic habit. You will start to do it without even realizing. The same goes for taking ibuprofen, going jogging, etc.
3. Does not require mental effort. HealthPixel is designed to be used without thinking. If you are eating an orange, you type "orange" in the foods list. If you feel your pain is at level 3 right now, you tap on "3". It's so easy you can do it while thinking about something else, talking on the phone, etc. Compare that with trying to remember at the end of a long day what your average pain level was, or what snacks you ate.
4. Record each symptom at its own pace. For most symptoms, recording once a day is not the most appropriate interval. Some symptoms fluctuate many times a day whereas others change on more of a weekly basis, etc. For example, your daily diary might have a question like "did you have a headache today?" If you only get a headache about once a month, it's an annoyance to have to answer this question every day.
5. Designed like an instant messaging app (WhatsApp, Messenger, iMessage, Telegram). As soon as you tap "foods" or "journal", it pops up the keyboard so you can instantly type. Just like an IM app shows your most recent contacts first, HealthPixel shows your most frequently tapped buttons first.