Integration of a wellness smartphone application in a school of pharmacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2023.231.440446Keywords:
Pharmacy, Student, Well-being, WellnessAbstract
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.
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