Cigna has updated its health coaching app, called Coach by Cigna, which aims to help users improve their health by making healthier lifestyle decisions. Cigna developed the app in partnership with Samsung for Samsung's S5 and S6 smartphones. The app first launched one year ago this month.
Coach by Cigna previously collected health information either manually through the smartphone or via sensors in wearables like Galaxy Gear or Gear Fit to generate a personal health coaching regimen for users. But the new version uses "psychology of lateral assessment" to determine the user's personality type, wants and needs, as well as preferences, so that Cigna can profile the user more accurately.
Health improvement programs offered through the app help the user with their diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and weight.
“Cigna is all about finding effective ways to help people achieve healthier, more secure lives.” Cigna Global Head of Channel and Partnership Marketing Heather Valteris said in a statement. “We tested, we learned and now we’re putting our expertise into our next generation of Coach by Cigna. With less than 20 simple questions, we can get to know your style, your preferences and the best ways to meet you where you are and help get you to where you want to be.”
The app will identify the user's personality type, including “Planner”, “Day Dreamer”, or “Explorer”. It will also learn the user's level of conscientiousness, like whether they are disciplined or disorderly, how they prioritize their health, and their understanding of health issues. Based on the results, the app will personalize the health coaching it provides its users.
The content in the app is generated by Cigna nurses, nutritionists, coaches, and behavior specialists, while the tracking data is pulled from Samsung’s existing S Health app. Users set goals in Coach, but they use S Health to track when they complete the goals and unlock achievements.
When MobiHealthNews spoke to Cigna about the partnership last year, spokesman Joseph Mondy said the eventual plan was to take the consumer app deeper into healthcare by using it to connect patients to doctors and hospitals.
“We’re very much engaged in trying to deliver health improvement capabilities that engage folks where they are, and where they are is on mobile devices,” Mondy said at the time. “We looked to partner with a global leader in mobile devices to work with to deliver some of our health [related] capabilities.”
The updated version of Coach by Cigna is available in the Google Play store in 15 countries and nine languages.
