Most consumer health apps lean heavily on streaks, points, and wellness scores. The mechanics are well-understood — they nudge engagement. They also do real damage to the patients who need health apps most.
What goes wrong with streaks
For a healthy 28-year-old logging workouts, a broken streak is a mild annoyance. For someone managing depression, the broken streak becomes evidence of failure. The shame loop is well-documented in behavioural health literature; we don't want to be a vector for it.
What we use instead
- Direct comparison to the patient's own past, not to others or to a target.
- Plain-English explanations of why each measurement matters.
- Soft re-engagement nudges that re-frame missed days as catch-up opportunities, never failures.
It tests less well on first-week retention metrics. It tests better on 90-day retention with patients who actually need the tool.