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Posted: 04/20/12 by Mobile Future Team
A recent study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies examines how wireless technology can help improve our health, particularly in minority communities. The study, “Minorities, Mobile Broadband and the Management of Chronic Disease,” highlights the use of mobile devices and applications to help manage chronic diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans and Latinos. The study points out that as minorities lead the United States in smartphone adoption, mobile applications that address chronic disease management increases users access to vital health information.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 07/19/11 by Mobile Future Team
Mobile devices are connecting health workers in developing countries to vital information on new treatment procedures and offer these workers a way to take exams, browse medical publications and discuss diagnosis from remote areas.
As reported in The East African,
“Renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs has called the mobile phone “the single most transformative technology for development.”
Also, cutting-edge mHealth technology is going intergalactic as the International Space Station will be home to a new mobile cardiovascular ultrasound system that will monitor astronaut’s health.
To read more, click here.
Posted: 01/20/11 by Mobile Future Team
The idea of combining healthcare and mobile technology to create better and less costly health service continues gaining speed. And why not? As we noted earlier this year, a majority of U.S. physicians already use a tablet or smartphone in their work.
Mike Snider at USA Today picked up on this mobile healthcare (or, mHealth) revolution in a recent story and the innovation he documents is eye-opening:
“Cellphones have already proven to be a potent medical instrument in improving patient outcomes. Diabetes patients who are sent videos on their cellphones and actually view them are more likely to check blood sugar levels and comply with their care regimens, said U.S. Army Col. Ron Poropatich…. And wounded veterans sent text messages via cellphone have better follow-up treatment routines and feel more connected to caregivers, said Poropatich.”
Other examples of mHealth innovations include:
- A touch-screen wireless real-time video system allowing homebound parents to stay connected online with only a touch-screen -- no mouse or keyboard required. Think of the implications for seniors or the disabled!
- A wireless system offering automated fall and wander detection and medical monitoring. You wear a wristwatch that tracks your location, sends out fall alerts and records your body temperature and pulse.
- Data tracking monitors for athletes to record and track workout progress using free mobile apps.
Welcome to the mobile future!
Posted: 01/06/11 by Mobile Future Team
A report today from market research firm Kalorama Information concludes that in 2010, a majority of U.S. physicians used a PDA or smartphone for their work, up from 35-40 percent in 2008.
That report complements a second study, issued last week, projecting that use of mobile health (or m-health) apps will triple by 2012. That study, titled “Health Check: Key Players in Healthcare,” was based on a public survey showing that 70 percent of respondents want access to m-health apps, even if they have to pay for it.
Meanwhile yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had a lengthy article about the vibrancy of the m-Health app market. Reporter Anya Martin writes, “A growing number of free or cheap smartphone apps aim to help caregivers keep track of medication dosages, nutritional requirements and other daily health-care needs.” She cites one recent study showing that mobile users can choose from more than 8,700 health-related apps.
The reason for all this activity is straightforward: Mobile healthcare offers the promise of dramatically expanding healthcare coverage for those with debilitating diseases while doing so more efficiently. Patients who once had to travel to a doctor’s office for routine tests can now have them done at home, with the results automatically relayed to their provider.
Expanded coverage. Cost savings. That’s the reality of m-Health.
Posted: 11/12/10 by Mobile Future Team
Taking place earlier this week, the 2010 mHealth Summit emphasized the important role technology plays in the healthcare field. Keynotes, breakout sessions and exhibit demonstrations all demonstrated how the marriage of technology and medicine acts as a gateway to better quality of care services and innovations that facilitate healthcare for underserved populations. Bill Gates, one of the keynote speakers at the Summit, called for new efficient innovations to move mHealth forward.
Some of the new technologies and applications discussed at the Summit include GlowCaps from Vitality, a pill bottle that calls your phone as a reminder to take medication and orders refills from the pharmacy, and iTriage- a symptom to provider pathway app that integrates your personal health record, reports live ER wait times, and allows you to view multiple family members health info as well as your own health plan info. Click here to read more coverage of the Summit.
Posted: 10/07/10 by Mobile Future Team
President Obama will sign The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act tomorrow- updating the Americans With Disabilities Act while emphasizing the important role new telecom technologies have had on those with disabilities. The act will not only increase the use of closed captioning on the internet, but it will also upgrade the way emergency information is communicated. To read more about how wireless technology can improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, click here.
Posted: 09/27/10 by Mobile Future Team
The Wall Street Journal released its Technology Innovation Awards today, and the ground-breaking advancements featured here will surely improve the quality of life for many people around the globe.
Wireless innovations received several important mentions, from software called Connect that enables health care providers to exchange health information electronically, to Vidyo Inc’s high-resolution videoconferencing system that works on both laptops and smartphones and travels over the Internet or 3G and 4G cellular networks. (A complete list of winners in the wireless category can be found here).
As Scott D. Anthony, managing director of Innosight Ventures and one of the judges of the awards said, “A number of the applicants have the potential to literally change the world.”
Posted: 09/08/10 by Mobile Future Team
In the United States, the treatment of chronic disease accounts for more than 70 percent ($1.7 trillion) of the country's $2.4 trillion in total healthcare spending. But continued proliferation and adoption of mHealth technologies can help people stay on top of their healthcare regimen and alert a specialist in case of a problem.
That’s the conclusion from a new report released by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. The report cites some interesting examples:
• Researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado discovered that 58 percent of hypertension patients using mPHRs (personal health records embedded in mobile communication devices) lowered their blood pressure to healthy levels within six months, compared to 38 percent receiving conventional treatment.
• At the Cleveland Clinic, diabetic and hypertensive patients who used smartphones to transmit vital signs reduced their number of doctor’s office visits as compared to patients who did not track readings.
• Austrian investigators found that congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, who typically require extensive hospitalization, had fewer and shorter hospital stays when they used a wireless system to transmit vitals, medication information and health status to their physicians.
The potential for wireless to expand cost-effective healthcare solutions has been a favorite topic of our’s for years (See here and here.) Moreover, as The New York Times reported nearly two years ago in an article on seniors’ attempts to avoid nursing homes, the cost of a wireless monitoring system is about $100 a month, compared to a nursing home, where the costs to taxpayers can exceed $200 a day.
Posted: 05/04/10 by Mobile Future Team
One of the really exciting emerging uses of mobile technology involves healthcare. This holds remarkable potential for everything from the pretty straightforward (automated text messages that remind you to take your pills) to the truly remarkable (wireless in-home monitoring for seniors that send an alert if there’s a chance they’ve fallen).
Now for any expectant Moms, there’s even a pregnancy app. WCBS in New York recently profiled this method, which allows doctors to monitor vital signs such as the blood pressure and heartbeat of mothers and their infants using mobile technology. If something becomes abnormal, the technology alerts the doctor.
Incidentally, if you need help choosing a name, here’s a handy app that gives you about 15,000 options.
Posted: 04/01/10 by Mobile Future Team
At CTIA Wireless 2010 last week, the newest and coolest mobile products and services were on display. There were lots of interesting ones, including many amazing mHealth applications.
Here’s a look at some innovative apps:
PillPhone
A mobile application that helps consumers better manage their medication.
LookTel
An application that helps the visually impaired recognize objects.
MedApps
A mobile outpatient monitoring solution that proactively alerts doctors and nurses to potential health problems.
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Tags: Applications, Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Innovation, Minority Access, News, Smartphone, Wireless Devices, Wireless Innovation, mHealth