Role of Mobile Technologies in Delivering Smarter Healthcare in 2015

Smart healthcare has been an emerging trend in the world of healthcare for quite some time now. It focuses on providing the knowledge and service capabilities of the best clinicians to patients irrespective of their geographic location.

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a mobile health application for the diagnosis of melanoma. And it was found to be more accurate than an average clinician. Melanoma is found to be the fifth most common type of cancer in the United States and hence the application is significant for timely diagnosis and treatment. Especially in rural areas where specialized healthcare services are few and far.

Just like the melanoma app, there are many other mobile health applications which can influence human lives in a huge way. They are especially useful in cases of chronic diseases where continuous treatment is essential. They can provide patients with constant expert advice and support when most needed.

Some of the major reasons why mobile healthcare is so effective are:

• An Intelligent System: It uses specific algorithms and/or artificial intelligence to simulate the guidance and care of a clinician. It also makes use of data it captures to understand the health conditions of a patient. Thus, it is capable of providing corrective pieces of advice for a healthier lifestyle.
• With you always: According to several studies, most heart patients, after discharge made errors while using their prescribed drugs. Mobile healthcare solves such problems, as it constantly guides the patient.
• Convenience: It is available at the convenience of the patient. It eliminates the need for them to go visit their doctors often.
• Cost: It lowers the cost of overall healthcare as it helps to save on manpower costs.
• Control: It empowers the patients by allowing them to participate in their own treatment and fitness regimen and thereby gives them control over their own health.

Another major reason for mobile health’s popularity is a concern for the future of all healthcare systems in the US. From another survey conducted by the PwC, it was assessed that in 1980, there was an average of 10 patients for every healthcare worker and only around 8% of the GDP was spent on healthcare. But by 2020, the US will be spending over 20% of the GDP on healthcare and will have a shortage of 800,000 persons in doctors and nurses. This will bring the productivity of the entire healthcare system down to unimaginable low. However, the use of smart healthcare tools and applications, through mobile healthcare, will provide the necessary support and bring up the efficiency levels even in such a state.

Smart healthcare is expected to grow further in the future globally. To facilitate smart healthcare, providers need to ensure that the adoption of mobile technology is possible. With the growth of the healthcare industry as a whole, it would become almost inevitable to use mobile technology to cater to the needs of every patient.

Sources: PwC, FDA