Integration of a wellness smartphone application in a school of pharmacy

Abstract

Background: Evidence suggests that professionals experience stress, with various coping approaches detailed in the literature. Objective: To describe the integration of and engagement with a wellness smartphone application (app) in a school of pharmacy. Methods: The School of Pharmacy faculty, staff, and students were given subscriptions to Wellspace, a mobile health app. Aggregate data were analysed to determine factors that influence user engagement, activity, and well-being. Results: Eighty percent of didactic students and 46 faculty/staff downloaded the app. The highest rate of overall monthly user engagement (39%) was during the first month but declined throughout the time of the study (5%). Competitions for wellness-related prizes led to significantly higher engagement rates and number of steps. The presence of competitions correlated with a higher percentage of engagement (r = 0.53), number of engaged users (r = 0.53), and number of steps (r = 0.49). Conclusion: A wellness app was integrated within a school of pharmacy; however, poor usage limited the utility of data captured.