Healthline’s new Migraine App
Healthline has recently come out with a new app. Although similar to other apps that the company has developed, this app is quite different than most of the migraine apps you’ve seen before.
Healthline Media, Inc. is a popular health website, owned by marketing company Red Ventures. It was launched in 2006 (based on an earlier website), and has grown significantly in the last few years. You can visit Healthline’s main site here to get a feel for it.
Healthline has launched a number of apps which are designed partly to promote its content, but also to bring together people dealing with certain health conditions. In 2016, they launched MS Buddy, followed by Breast Cancer Healthline and IBD Healthline. The latest app is Migraine Healthline.
The purpose of Healthline’s app is not to track symptoms and diagnose, but to promote Healthline content and link you with other people who are dealing with migraine, and so to provide support. Think of it as a way to find people with similar migraine “interests” – matching you with a group of people who are on a similar journey.
When you open the app, you’ll start by answering a few questions. They are basic, but they’re important because they will be used to match you with other users. (If you’re interested in privacy concerns, you can find all the information that applies to the app here – Privacy Policy.)
After you answer the questions, you’ll find yourself on a page that looks very much like a migraine Facebook, with posts by users with replies, as well as posts from Healthline articles. You can navigate to groups, to talk about specific topics (navigating healthcare, lifestyle, medication and treatments, etc.). You can meet members (some of whom are also promoting their own sites), send and receive messages, and get matched up with specific people based on your symptoms and interests.
The app is very new, so the action is a little limited at this point, although it already has a good number of users. But based on the popularity of Healthline and its other apps, that should change over the next few months.
As you can guess, there are pros and cons to this kind of an app. But the most obvious strength is finding other people to connect with. So many people feel like they have no one to talk to about the migraine and headache challenges that they’re facing – this is one way to connect with others. The best way? Probably not. But another way.
Have you been using Migraine Healthline? What’s your opinion? How could it be better? How has it helped you? Let us know!
The app is available for iOs and Android.