Type of population using health appsAlmost everyone can benefit from health apps. By owning a smartphone, you can easily download a health application ready to help you track health-related information. However, studies show that only a percentage of the population tends to use healthcare applications. According to a survey conducted by the Institute for Medical Sociology of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, currently only a fifth of smartphone users actually use health-related applications. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Application users tend to be younger, more educated, and health-savvy individuals, which accounts for the majority of users. The same goes for people with chronic conditions, who are more likely to use health applications than those without chronic conditions, as this could help people better control their condition and reduce the number of visits to the doctor. (Using Smartphones and Health Apps to Change and Manage Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Survey, 2017) Regarding the elderly population, a longitudinal survey conducted in 2011-2014 found that people (average age 75 years) have used digital health at low rates. From 2011 to 2014, signs of modest increases in the utilization rate emerged. There have also been some increases in the number of seniors, ages 75 and older, using health apps from 2011 to 2014 (Trends in Seniors' Use of Digital Health Technology in the United States, 2011-2014) . This report concludes that for most older adults, digital health technology is not well understood. Most of the demand is associated with socioeconomic disparities, the application's ability to improve the quality, cost and safety of healthcare. In the future, developers should focus on usability and scalability to improve the range and effectiveness of healthcare applications for the elderly. Key Challenges and Focus for Healthcare App Developers On the healthcare development side, different types of healthcare apps are specifically designed to target a population within the application market. As discussed above, there are three main types of healthcare applications: daily fitness tracking, clinical assistance, and professional healthcare software. Daily fitness apps are low-risk software, so these apps target the digital health-conscious population. Different apps are always designed for a specific population and may or may not be useful for everyone. For example, apps with nutrition tracking functions, help maintain a healthy diet with weight loss, are for the population who want to achieve a desired eating habit and maintain their health. Apps that track exercise statistics for the physically active population, which can include all different types of casual or professional athletes. Apps that track women's menstrual periods can only be used to their full potential by women who have regular periods. Apps that track sleep and relaxation status are primarily designed for people with anxiety or insomnia who can benefit from relaxation exercises. Clinical care applications are high-risk software and are designed to be used by anyone. Clinical care apps are designed to.