Facebook launches its Preventive Health tool

Facebook has launched a health tool in the U.S. in partnership with healthcare organizations which will help people get the necessary health checks done at the right time. The tool is named Preventive Health and you can find it in the Facebook mobile app.

It is long agreed-upon that various diseases and ailments can be averted through preventive measures. Facebook aims to make this easier through its Preventive Health tool. The tool can suggest the right tests/checkups like mammograms or cholesterol checks which come highly recommended by health organizations. The tool will also act as a reminder for the flu shots. Through the tool the users can also mark the checkups they’ve already done and set reminders for the future.

While most of the tests recommended by the tool are free with insurance coverage, the tool will also point the users without insurance towards the most affordable care givers in the vicinity. These centers are Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Facebook said that the tool will also help raise awareness about how preventive measures can avert prevalent diseases like cancer and arrhythmia. “One of the main reasons people don’t get screened for cancer is that they don’t realize their own risk. We hope this program will help by building awareness about important recommendations from expert organizations,” said Richard Wender, MD, Chief Cancer Control Officer at the American Cancer Society.