Social media giant Facebook is introducing a new ‘Preventive Health’ tool that will gives users the option to set reminders for their future medical checkups and schedule tests.
The service will be made available in the beginning in the United States, but may be extended elsewhere in the future.
As people may find it difficult to keep track of their health check-ups, the new Facebook tool will help users to keep track of their health check-ups, schedule tests and even get notifications when tests are completed. It will also help users search for affordable options.
According to reports, the initiative was launched following the success of blood donation feature, which matches donors with blood banks, that was launched in 2017.
The blood donation feature launched in India, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the US made it easy for users to sign up as blood donors. Users were notified when nearby blood banks needed blood. After its launch, more than 50 million people signed up to donate. In fact, in India and Brazil, there were 20 per cent voluntary, walk-in blood donors via this app.
Premier health organisation like the American Cancer Society, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention helped Facebook to compile the resources.
Facebook has confirmed that information shared by users will not be disclosed to third parties.
Preventive healthcare offers protection from health emergencies. Most ailments can be prevented if detected on time. Vaccinations also fall under preventive medicine as it reduces the risk of certain diseases.
The whole idea behind this unique preventive health care is to identify a disease at its initial stage and eliminate it before it can cause any real problem. This can help increase life expectancy and lead to a better quality of life. It will also save you money because treating a disease is more expensive than preventing it.
