Used a health app or asked for a telemedicine visit this week? That’s digital health — and it can save time, money, and stress when you use it right. This page collects easy, useful advice so you can spot good tools, avoid scams, and work with your clinician without guesswork.
Want to order medicine online or see a doctor by video? Start with credibility checks. Look for an actual street address and phone number, read recent user reviews, and confirm the pharmacy requires a prescription when needed. For telehealth, make sure the clinician is licensed in your state or country and that the platform uses encrypted video (you’ll often see HTTPS and a lock in the browser).
If you saw an ad promising cheap pills with no prescription, pause. Real pharmacies will ask questions or require a prescription. Our article on thirstyrun.com online pharmacy walks through what a safe site looks like and what red flags to avoid.
Health apps and wearables can track sleep, meds, blood pressure, and steps. Pick apps with clear privacy policies and recent updates. Check whether the app shares data with third parties and whether it allows you to export or delete your data. If a sleep app claims medical-grade accuracy, look for references to clinical studies or regulatory approvals.
For medication management, use apps that let you set refill reminders, store photos of pill labels, and keep an exportable medication list to share with your doctor. That’s handy for switching meds — for example, people sharing patient stories about switching from metoprolol found a medication list made conversations with their cardiologist faster and safer.
Remote monitoring devices (blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters) should pair securely with your phone and let you control who sees the data. Ask your clinic whether they accept device uploads, and confirm whether the device maker has support and firmware updates.
Short checklist before you buy or install: look up the seller, read the privacy policy, confirm clinical backing, and check return or refund policies.
Need to prepare for a telehealth visit? Have a written list of symptoms, medication names and doses, allergies, and recent test results. Find a quiet spot with good light and a charged device. If you need a physical exam, know that many televisits will only produce limited findings — treat video as a triage and follow-up tool, not always a full replacement for in-person care.
Finally, protect your accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for health portals, enable two-factor authentication when available, and avoid public Wi‑Fi for video visits. If you worry about privacy rules, our GDPR and Privacy Policy pages explain what rights you have and how sites should handle your data.
Digital health should feel helpful, not confusing. Use these checks and habits to get reliable care, manage medicines, and keep your personal health data under your control.
As the digital health landscape evolves, several platforms have emerged to provide reliable health information alongside WebMD. This article outlines ten noteworthy alternatives, each offering distinct features like AI-powered assessments, secure data management, personalized health insights, and more. From Healthline to Sickweather, discover which platform aligns best with your health information needs.