The UCHealth app is great for scheduling appointments, checking test results, refilling prescriptions or finding your way to appointments.

Now the app also offers an array of new tools and rewards to help people achieve wellness goals and stay healthier every day.

New wellness tools are based on research

If you’d like support in adopting healthier habits like moving more, eating a healthier diet or sleeping better, then you’ll want to check out the free tools in the UCHealth app.

The wellness tools draw on research from Dr. Amy Huebschmann, who cares for patients at UCHealth Internal Medicine at the Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion in Aurora, and her co-lead researcher, Dr. Russell Glasgow.

Huebschmann, Glasgow and their colleagues developed a health risk assessment based on questions patients often answer before their primary care appointments. The assessment then flagged high-risk areas and offered patients the opportunity to set goals. Then they did a study, comparing health outcomes for patients who completed the assessment versus those who did not.

The study found that patients who were offered the simple assessment better identified risks to their health and were more likely to set behavior-change goals around physical activity, nutrition and risks for high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases. And these goals lead to modest improvements in patient-reported health and higher patient satisfaction with provider visits.

From her work with patients, Huebschmann learned that it’s vital to help people pick simple, targeted goals.

“If you focus on one goal at a time, it’s easier to make changes. Change is hard, and trying to change too many things at once can be tricky,” said Huebschmann, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

To help patients succeed, the wellness app offers small, “SMART goals” — meaning they’re specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.

The app doesn’t offer too many choices to ensure that patients won’t suffer from “choice overload.” And the designers kept the app as intuitive and easy to use as possible so patients will enjoy coming back again and again.

Here are simple steps to get started in using the wellness tools in the app:

• Open the UCHealth app and log in.

• Tap the “Wellness” sunshine icon
• Tap “Set up your profile.”

To get to the wellness tools within the UCHealth, find the sunshine wellness icon at the bottom of the app's home screen.

Within the wellness section of the UCHealth app, you can set up your personalized wellness profile.

The personalized wellness profile can help you identify and target areas of your health that you could improve on for better wellness.

When you focus on a goal based on your wellness profile, you can explore resources that motivate you and support your progress.

In addition to setting a wellness goal, you can participate in challenges to stay motivated and earn badges or rewards from UCHealth community partners.

Challenges offer incentives and motivation, as well as accountability.

In the wellness section of the UCHealth app, you can explore resource pages focused on areas such as fitness and fun and mental wellness.

What makes the wellness tools in the app unique?

The wellness tools in the UCHealth app are unique because you can choose to share your progress with your care team. And the wellness tools live right next to all the other tools you traditionally use for your medical appointments.

“The goal is to create a single place where you can get support both when you’re sick and when you’re well,” said Nicole Caputo, vice president for experience and innovation at UCHealth.

You can choose goals that align with the health challenges you’re facing.

You also can opt to share your wellness assessment and goals with your care team. The assessment and tools can help drive targeted conversations during medical visits, and your care team can help you stay on track with your goals.

Rewarding patients who succeed in their wellness goals

Along with sharing your wellness goals and accomplishments with your provider, you can take advantage of rewards and content from community partners, including:

• Exploring UCHealth Today articles about outdoor recreation, physical activity or health topics like sleep.
• Accessing workout playlists or relaxing songs from the Colorado Symphony, all on Spotify.
• Getting tips and dog recipes to keep your furry “motivation partner” healthy, from Brutus Bone Broth.
• Receiving oral hygeine tips from Waterpik.
• Learning gardening techniques and getting ideas for projects from STIHL.
• Trying a new, healthy recipe from Natural Grocers.
• Brewing your own tea with tips from Teatulia.
• Following guided meditations from Muse.

Caputo and her team worked with Huebschmann to develop the evidence-based wellness tools because they wanted to extend the benefits of the UCHealth app well beyond medical care.

“You can go into the app to access a meditation, challenge yourself, set a goal, make an appointment or message your provider,” Caputo said.

Everything that happens outside the doors of hospitals and clinics has a huge impact on people’s lives and on their health.

And UCHealth providers want to do all they can to support people as they adopt healthier habits to eat well and exercise every day.

“Our mission at UCHealth is to improve lives. We want to make sure our app supports every aspect of your life, whether you have an appointment with us or not.” Caputo said.

“The wellness tools are built to meet you where you are and easily fit into your day.”