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VGZ Mindfulness
A free app for anyone who wants to go through life less stressed and more mindful.
Achieved
results
- Nearly 1,000,000 downloads.
- A rating of 4+ stars in both the Apple store and the Google Play Store.
- An average of 75,000 unique users per month.
The very first Mindfulness Coach app
In 2014, together with VGZ, we developed the very first Mindfulness Coach app. A free app for anyone who wants to go through life less stressed and more mindful. After all, stress is one of the main causes of a lot of illnesses, from anxiety and depression to physical complaints like fatigue and headaches.
Since its initial release, the app has performed beyond all expectations and we have come closer and closer to our ambitious goal: to create the best Dutch mindfulness app.
The Challenge
At the time, we developed the app as a campaign utility: a tool to spread the word that VGZ was the first and only Dutch insurer to reimburse mindfulness treatments.
The app acts as a personal coach, helping users do daily exercises and meditations. Important during development was - and is - that the app can be used anywhere and anytime by anyone. This gives everyone the opportunity to get acquainted with Mindfulness, even if you do not have health insurance with VGZ.
1,000,000 downloads
Meanwhile, the app has been downloaded nearly 1,000,000 times, is rated 4+ stars in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, and is used by an average of about 75,000 people every month. With this, the app is not only very successful, but has also come of age.
So the challenge now is: How do we keep the app relevant, attractive and can we further optimize the positive impact on users and their perception of the VGZ brand?
The solution
At Move, we are fans of the credos "We are not the user" and "Without data, you are just someone with an opinion." That's why we develop and optimize the app almost entirely based on user feedback and insights from data analysis.
The more than 3,000 ratings and suggestions from users provided a great basis for further development of the app.
The latest release
In the most recent update, we again introduced an expanded number of features and content. What does the app offer now?
- 72 different mindfulness exercises, in both a female and male voice
- 5 new mindfulness programs for beginners and advanced practitioners
- Mindfulness exercises for kids
- Exercises for better sleep
- Download option:
- download your programs or individual exercises for when you don't have access to the Internet for a while (and save on your data) or stream them directly (and save on your smartphone memory)
- Background knowledge under 'good to know'
- Usabilla integration, for even more direct user feedback
The results
In addition to the positive reviews in the app stores and active use, the effect of mindfulness exercises on our health has also been scientifically proven. Arnold A.P. van Emmerik and Jaap Lancee (professors at the University of Amsterdam) in collaboration with Fieke Berings (former Consultant Zorgvernieuwing at VGZ) have conducted research on the effectiveness of apps within the healthcare domain.
What turns out?
The results of the study are surprisingly positive and demonstrate the effectiveness of apps within the healthcare domain. After an eight-week period, significant increases in various facets of mindfulness were observed, subjects were found to have fewer psychiatric symptoms and even higher scores on the quality of life component. The improvements even continued for a period of at least three months.
Based on the above results, Van Emmerik and Lancee concluded that it is possible to achieve lasting positive effects using a mobile app - and the VGZ Mindfulness coach in particular.
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