Health-tracking devices and apps are becoming part of everyday life. More than 300,000 mobile phone applications claim to help with managing diverse personal health issues, from monitoring blood glucose levels to conceiving a child.

But so far the potential for health-tracking apps to improve healthcare has barely been tapped. Although they allow a user to collect and record personal health data, and sometimes even share it with friends and family, these apps typically don’t connect that information to a patient’s digital medical chart, or make it easier for healthcare providers to monitor or share feedback with their patients.

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