MOBILE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS

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MOBILE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS Written by: mPulse TM

Transcript of MOBILE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS

MOBILE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY TRENDSAND INNOVATIONS

Written by: mPulse

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MOBILE HEALTHCARE (mHEALTH) OVERVIEW

Mobile healthcare, or mHealth, can be broadly defined as the “delivery of healthcare services via mobile communication devices.” More specifically, mHealth refers to the delivery, facilitation and communication of health-related information via mobile telecommunication and multimedia technologies – including cell phones, tablet devices, PDAs and wireless infrastructure in general.

While the concept of eHealth, or electronic-based healthcare services, is closely related to mHealth by definition, “eHealth” can largely be viewed as the technology that supports the functions and delivery of healthcare, while mHealth rests largely on providing healthcare access. For example, a project labeled “mHealth” that uses mobile devices to access data on HIV/AIDS information would require an eHealth system to manage, store, and assess the data. Thus, “eHealth” projects many times operate as the backbone of mHealth projects.

CURRENT STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

During the past decade, there’s been significant investment and development in the areas of mHealth, with most of it being centered on early-stage initiatives geared exclusively toward early-adopters, forward-thinking hospitals and tech-savvy physicians. Recently, however, technology and attitudes on both the business management and provider sides have seen a major shift, making mHealth approachable to a much broader audience – including a wide range of physicians, nurses, patients, payers, healthcare administrators and consumers.

In addition, several recent developments have turned eyes towards the benefits and possible applications of mHealth technology, including federal stimulus money being poured into areas like electronic medical records (EMRs). Another primary force driving interest towards the idea of mobile healthcare has been several large natural disasters that have brought mobile to the forefront in terms of SMS-based donations and real-

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time global communication about the events via smartphones and other mobile technology and infrastructure. Finally, the major push for healthcare reform has driven interest in the streamlining, cost-savings and betterment of the healthcare industry as a whole. In general, mobile is increasingly being looked upon to solve many of these issues and more.

At present, there are four key areas driving the pace of adoption and the direction of the mobile healthcare industry, including:

• Innovation in mobile technology

• The overall development and adoption of healthcare technology in general

• End-user interest and adoption

• The structural/regulatory barriers that already exist in the healthcare industry such as

reimbursement, HIPAA compliance, various privacy implications and many others.

In terms of mobile technology evolution, we’re now at a point where devices have reached a price-point that make them available across a wide spectrum of users. In the past, smartphones capable of facilitating new-age mobile healthcare applications were costly and therefore unattainable by most average consumers. Today, smartphone adoption has increased dramatically and made mobile healthcare accessible to nearly everyone. In addition, feature phones are becoming more powerful and the mobile Web is emerging as the primary channel to receive and disseminate information. Together with SMS, the mobile Web is a technology available to nearly every consumer in today’s mobile landscape.

A primary driver of mobile healthcare is the continued evolution of eHealth, or electronic healthcare. The continued development and adoption of electronic processes and delivery of health information across the entire ecosystem is vital to mHealth and its future success, both on the consumer side and the physician side. A prime example of this is electronic medical records (EMRs), which enable the easy communication of patient data between different healthcare professionals.

On the consumer side of things, end-user adoption is vital to the future of mHealth as this is where the benefits will have the greatest impact. The debate remains, however, as to what delivery method will prevail. Consumer interest is growing in a big way

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as well, though it mainly lies with early-adopters and the younger demographic. According to a recently released mobile health report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 15 percent of 18- to 29- year olds had a mobile health app on their phone compared to 8 percent of 30- to 49-yearolds, 6 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 5 percent of people 65-years-old and older. Like most new technologies, younger people drive adoption in the beginning, followed by the older generation as the timeline progresses.

Structural and regulatory barriers that continue to exist in the healthcare industry play a pivotal role in the evolution of mHealth as well, with things like HIPAA compliance, reimbursement questions and many others affecting the speed of adoption. Long-term growth and market potential depend on broader evolution and reform of US healthcare structure, including things like performance-based measurement models. Most importantly, the healthcare industry’s tardiness to adopt new technologies and lack of a historically proven ROI to providers will prove to be the most substantial barriers to growth.

The advent of mHealth in the U.S. is a reminder of the obstacles companies face when

Impact of New Smartphone App Market Model on mHealth

My PCP/doctor is a middleman that delays me from getting the medical treatment I need.

My PCP/doctor is a trusted advisor for general health,information and treatment.

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dealing with the most regulated healthcare industry in the World. mHealth has been deployed for the past decade in developing (India, Eastern Asia and Africa, et al.), and developed (U.K., Australia, Western Europe, et al.) countries, with overwhelmingly successful results. Many of these deployments were the concerted efforts of private companies and government/public entities. The outcomes of these foreign initiatives serve as a template for U.S. deployment by many mHealth constituents.

As the mHealth market enters the next phase, it is becoming more and more apparent that the workflows, processes and datasets that are unique to healthcare are essential in order to evolve wireless technology. Wireless and mobile delivery is not only redefining healthcare, but is streamlining its delivery and consumption within various settings – making it faster, more accurate and cost effective.

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CURRENT MARKET PLAYS

At present, market plays in the field of mobile health have only begun to surface. Things like SMS-based appointment reminders and prescription reminders, in addition to basic fitness and wellness applications are just now coming into everyday use for some providers. More advanced concepts like remote monitoring and real-time communication between patient and physician are just starting to emerge.

Rather than focusing on what’s currently being done, it’s more important to focus on what’s not being done, which encompasses a wide array of concepts that are hindered by inherent challenges. A prime example of which is secure mobile communications via SMS and other forms of messaging.

The complexities associated with secure communication have turned many providers away from developing solid solutions. Finding a middle ground between secure communication that meets compliance regulations and a simple user experience that will enable wide adoption by the end-user is a daunting task. Though innovation in these areas exists, it’s at a relatively slow pace because of the inherent obstacles.

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KEY AREAS OF THE mHEALTH MARKET

There are currently eight broad areas of the mHealth market, including general monitoring, personal emergency response systems (PERS), telemedicine, mobile medical equipment, RFID tracking, health and fitness software, mobile messaging and electronic medical records. Each area represents opportunities and challenges for the road ahead.

General Monitoring

Mobile health monitoring is a very broad category with massive opportunity and promise on both the patient and physician sides. Traditional health monitoring covers a wide variety of issues, from glucose monitoring – a market worth over $8.9B in 2009 – to blood pressure and other traditional health-issue monitoring.

The bulk of current mHealth-related monitoring solutions involve clinical-grade solutions, meaning one needs a prescription to take advantage. In the future, as the infrastructure and mobile technology in general evolve, we’ll begin to see remote

monitoring via mobile start to cover nearly every medical condition and transmit real time data back to one’s physician for instant analysis.

An early example of this is a solution forward-

thinking providers are creating, which monitors and transmits real-time beat-by-beat data to central monitoring locations. It works by leveraging a wireless connection to a landline-connected cradle when in home and a cellular data network when mobile.

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Another example is the introduction of bio-metric remote monitoring solutions via devices that take the form of arm bands or other devices that are easily wearable for consumers. Utilizing bio-metric feedback involves leveraging low-power RF connections to base stations that can be connected directly to smartphones.

Looking even further down the evolutionary road, digestible pills are being created with embeddable wireless sensors and transmitters and even pill-box compliance monitoring. Imagine a simple pill you can take that would automatically monitor several aspects of your health, or even be tailored to monitor specific health conditions in real time without any intervention on your part. This is the future of mobile health monitoring.

While the opportunities are plentiful and the advantages are obvious, there are still several limitations and barriers that persist including modularization and the standardization of interfaces -- such as a standard sensor interface to interact with multiple potential end devices. Overcoming these will be critical to drive growth and acceptance across the health industry. In the long-run, wholesale (or other collaboration) with mobile network operators will be required to bring real-time data synching and facilitate centralized analytics.

Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)

The ideas of personal emergency response systems (PERS) have been around a long-time, but have stayed relatively simple from their inceptions until today. A company called “Lifeline” pioneered the concept in 1974 (you know you remember the commercials; “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”), and the technology and capabilities haven’t evolved significantly since. Initially, the concept involved PERS devices that wirelessly connect to landline-connected cradles via traditional cordless-phone technology. Call centers stand by to offer emergency service support, such as calling 911 in the event of user alert.

As the concept evolves, additional functionality and connectivity is being added suchas realtime location-tracking, fall-monitoring and basic bio-metric monitoring functions. As the idea of internet-connected PERS devices proliferates, all the functionality

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that comes with having an always-on data connection becomes a reality. Again, the evolution of mobile technology in general and wireless-data infrastructure are the primary drivers. Instead of the traditional standalone devices that people wear, mobile phones already have the capability to do the same thing and much more via mobile applications.

Telemedicine

The concept of telemedicine can be defined as transferring medical information through interactive audiovisual media for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes for remote medical procedures or examinations. While this is a broad definition, it can be as simple as two medical professionals discussing a case over the phone or something as complex as using satellite technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation between a patient medical specialists in multiple countries. In its simplest form, telemedicine is the practice of using communication and information technology for the delivery of clinical care.

There are three main categories of telemedicine: store-and-forward, remote monitoring, and interactive services. The first refers to acquiring medical data such as medical images, biosignals, etc. and then transmitting the data back to a physician or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment in an offline environment. Remote monitoring is another form of telemedicine that follows the same principles explained above. Interactive telemedicine services provide real-time interactions between patient and provider and include phone conversations, online communication and home visits. As such, many activities such as history review, physical examination, psychiatric evaluations and ophthalmology assessments can be conducted comparably to those done in traditional face-to-face visits. In addition, “clinician-interactive” telemedicine services may be less costly than in-person clinical visits.

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The idea of telemedicine is inherently mobile, thus the evolution in mobile technology in general will have a continued and profound effect on it. Handsets already have digital cameras for potential mobile imaging solutions, for example, and they’ll only continue to improve over time. In addition, the creation of 4G networks and potential 2-way video capabilities built into handsets could expand options for remote consultations across both wired and wireless networks.

Mobile Medical Equipment

Mobile medical devices encompass a wide range of equipment and already represent a market valued in excess of $10 billion. There are two primary areas where the advantages are multiplied. These include the use of devices in rural areas where the availability of things like advanced diagnostic equipment is relatively lower, in addition to use in hospitals where it’s viewed as a means to improve efficiency and overall care. Long-term, the market is poised for mobile medical devices to become core primary care physician (PCP) diagnostic tools in hospital settings much in the way every doctor has a stethoscope.

Looking forward, as wireless infrastructure via cellular data networks and Wi-Fi continue to evolve, these devices will see their usefulness and adoption multiplied significantly. The advantages in terms of efficiency, real-time data transfer and storage and the computerization/ automation of diagnostics will help the market for mobile medical devices explode.

There’s also a degree of convergence occurring within the traditional healthcare sector as incumbent healthcare providers continue to build their core IT infrastructure. Pressure from small “nextgen” healthcare providers will create a struggle to open up the last mile of the healthcare network similar to the battle between small ISPs and incumbent Telcos during the late 1990s for access to the last mile of the telecommunications network. This time, however, the key weapon will be mobile rather than fixed line communications technology.

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RFID Tracking

RFID or “radio-frequency identification” is a technology that’s quickly affecting industries of all shapes and sizes. The technology effectively digitizes asset management and the organization of nearly anything for that matter. The technology uses communication via electromagnetic waves to exchange data between a terminal and an object – whether it’s a product, a physical file, device or even a person -- for the purpose of identification and tracking.

RFID in terms of mHealth, also known as “real-time location systems (RTLS),” is still very much in its infancy. Adoption of RTLS by U.S. healthcare providers is expected to grow at a steady, but significant pace over the next five years, but according to recent research, adoption of RFID is limited with only 5% of hospitals having adopted the technology for widespread usage. Many hospitals cite the lack of understanding of solutions as a key barrier, particularly of the benefits over and above current barcode based non-real time inventory/sample tracking systems.

Overall adoption not only in the use of RFID, but in its use on a wide variety of medical-related items is expected to rise substantially as costs decline and understanding improves. As more and more mobile medical devices emerge and get smaller and smaller, RFID-based management will play a pivotal role in asset management and overall organization and infrastructure.

Health & Fitness Software

As smartphones have evolved and mobile applications continue to proliferate, health and fitness software has emerged as an early indicator to how popular mHealth will become in general. With mobile application software, they can act either as a health care/medical device (either standalone or with specialty peripheral devices) or as a gateway to personal health records (PHR), for example.

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Medical/healthcare apps currently account for 3-4% of all app store sales, with growth being significant as the medical category was the third fastest growing category of applications.

Type and capabilities of applications continues to expand as well. For instance, Apple’s iOS software now allows application developers to sync medical devices such as glucose monitors to the phone via Bluetooth or USB. Synching with consumer-oriented devices such as smart weight scales or heart rate monitors is also an option supported by new-age devices and software.

Even the most basic health and fitness software can prove beneficial from both a wellness and cost-savings standpoint. For example, a solution from Nike places a small sensor in your shoes and relays jogging data to a mobile application on your phone.

Impact of New Smartphone App Market Model on mHealth

Category Main Barriers Changes Impact

in the old mHealth market model related to the new smartphone appmarket model

Device • Need for specialized devices to run • Key mHealth features are built in (GPS, sensors) services • High penetration expected• Very low penetration of capable • New opportunities through tablet devices devices

Distribution • Lack of business incentives for • Possibility to market direct consumer/patient traditional channels and professionals.• Lack of reach: MNSs only provided • Global reach via application stores local reach

Patients/ • In transparent markets to search for • Increased awarenessDoctors mHealth solutions. • Massive improvement of user experience from

• Little awareness discovery to usage• Missing technology readiness in • Massive reduction of price level for mHealth target groups applications and smartphones

Regulation •Little refunding as only few solutions • Awareness changed due to the application were accepted by national regulation hype but still no major change in regulation

policies visible

High

Medium

Medium

Low

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The concept is simple, yet it promotes overall fitness and the idea of self regulated health monitoring without the normal clinician intervention. This, in turn, saves costs.

Healthcare provider Humana has innovated considerably in terms of mobile health software, applications and otherwise that show the power of unique mHealth implementations. An excellent example of which is in relation to pediatric healthcare, where Humana has created a solution known as “DIDGET,” which is an FDA-approved blood-glucose monitoring system that explores how video games can help spur

healthy habits in children. DIDGET plugs into Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite systems and awards points to users for testing their glucose levels. Points are used to unlock new game levels and buy items inside the

game. To date, DIDGET users have improved their self-care and reduced diabetes-related urgent and emergency-care visits by 77 percent.

Another example from Humana is the development of a specialized in-home scale for chronic heart patients to connect with physicians in real-time. Patients can step on the scale at home and deliver live data, such as weight, blood pressure and blood-glucose levels, directly to their primary care physician. This technology will enable physicians to spot trends in patients’ conditions and, potentially, treat at-risk situations before they become emergencies.

Secure Mobile Messaging

SMS and mobile messaging is a primary driver of the mHealth segment much like it is in other areas of the mobile ecosystem. Its reach and inherent ubiquity provide a perfect starting off point to introduce mHealth services and applications to consumers in a way they’re already comfortable with. Introducing the technology in a medical capacity, however, presents numerous challenges and barriers in terms of security,

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privacy and HIPAA compliance. Effectively and efficiently introducing the concept of secured mobile messaging is looked upon to provide the same benefits of standard two-way communication via SMS, while maintaining a secured and compliant connection at all times.

The concept of secured mobile messaging is easier said than done, however, which is why most mHealth solutions that utilize mobile messaging focus on basic communication like appointment and prescription reminders via SMS. Finding a way to secure this communication opens up numerous additional possibilities. At present, a clinic can send an SMS notification to an opted-in user saying something like, “Your lab results are ready,” which provides a convenience for the consumer but still limits the advantages. Upon receiving the message, the consumer would still need to call or visit the clinic to receive the full results of their lab testing.

With secured mobile messaging, that same SMS could read: “Your lab results are ready, visit this secured link to see your results.” SMS can act as the gateway to a secured, direct connection to your healthcare provider to send and receive health information in real-time with little intervention on both the consumer and clinician side. Through the integration of secured mobile landing pages and SMS, numerous layers of security and privacy-consent can exist, which in turn satisfies many compliance, privacy and security concerns.

An excellent example of the power of mobile messaging in relation to healthcare is a recent pilot program facilitated by mPulse for Kaiser Permanente. Facing heavy communication infrastructure costs, Kaiser was seeking a solution that would reduce costs while allotting the increased fiscal budget to the delivery of health care and professional staffing instead. To achieve this goal, mPulse designed an end-user SMS solution that allowed for the creation and delivery of general appointment reminders, specific treatment reminders and specific notification of completed lab results to patients.

At the end of the one month pilot program, the solution showed an improvement of 0.73 percent fewer “no-shows” for appointments, which equated to 1,837 fewer “no-shows” in total. In the end, Kaiser was able to contain communication infrastructure

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costs at a staggering rate, with Kaiser saving $150 per appointment (their no-show cost) which equaled a total cost savings of over $275,000 at just a single clinic. While this is just one of many usecases for SMS and mobile communication in general in the healthcare field, just imagine the possibility if secured mobile messaging was a viable option.

Presently, there’s a lot of innovation happening in terms of secured mobile messaging and it’s looked upon to solve many issues related to advanced mHealth solutions. Once a solid, standardized and secured mobile messaging ecosystem emerges, it will act as a foundation and building block to many innovative solutions in the future, many of which are largely unrealized at this point.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

Electronic medical records, or “EMRs,” were an early product of the eHealth movement, with the benefits multiplied as mobile has been introduced into the equation. Though the benefits are apparent, the healthcare industry has been slow to adopt the concept of widely-used EMRs. Even though EMR systems with computerized provider order entry (CPOE) have existed for more than 30 years, fewer than 10 percent of hospitals as of 2010 have a fully integrated system.

Relevant to EMR/PHR, a clear indicator of how far U.S. healthcare institutions must go to modernize their operations is conveyed in a survey in the April 16, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that only 1.5% of the U.S. hospitals have a comprehensive electronic records system (i.e., present in all clinical units) in place, and just 7.6% have a basic system (i.e. present in at least one clinical unit). Hospitals cited capital requirements and high maintenance costs as the primary barriers to implementation. Like other areas of mHealth, barriers to EMR usage such as legality and compliance issues persist. EMRs, like medical records, must be kept in unaltered form and authenticated by the creator. Under data protection legislation, responsibility for patient records (irrespective of the form they are kept in) is always on the creator and custodian of the record, which is usually a healthcare practice or facility. As such, a major concern is adequate confidentiality of the individual records being managed electronically.

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According to recent studies, roughly 150 people (from doctors and nurses to technicians and billing clerks) have access to at least part of a patient’s records during a hospitalization, and over 600,000 payers, providers and other entities that handle providers’ billing data have some access. This introduces numerous challenges as well as plenty of potential for mobile innovation.

Digitizing medical records is seen as a potential early driver in streamlining the healthcare industry as a whole. As such, it has seen government intervention to promote the benefits and encourage the healthcare industry in the U.S to move quickly to adopt EMRs. Because of the many “after entry” benefits to EMRs over traditional paper-based records, federal and state governments, insurance companies and other large medical institutions are heavily promoting the adoption of EMRs.

Congress recently included a formula of both incentives – up to $44K per physician under Medicare or up to $65K over 6 years under Medicaid – as well as penalties (i.e. decreased Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements for covered patients to doctors who fail to use EMR’s by 2015) for EMR/EHR adoption versus continued use of paper records as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Interoperability of EMRs is another issue that must be overcome before wide use of the concept is realized. The ability to exchange records between different EMR systems would facilitate the coordination of healthcare delivery in non-affiliated healthcare facilities, for example, improving communication and overall care for patients. In addition, data from an electronic system can be used anonymously for statistical reporting in matters such as quality improvement, resource management and public health communicable disease surveillance.

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Clinical–Focused Solutions

Introducing mobile technology on the clinical side of healthcare presents benefits beyond the basic use of mobile devices, such as wireless and implantable robotics, basic document management, informatics systems and wireless patient monitoring. As healthcare providers continue to recognize the value propositions afforded by

wireless communications and hospitals continue to embrace wireless infrastructures, innovation will continue to expand exponentially.

Looking ahead, advanced solutions such as implanted wireless sensors and robotics inside patients, combined with an always-on mobile data connection, can open

a wealth of opportunity in terms of real-time care, emergency response and remote monitoring. Imagine having a health condition that’s monitored and managed remotely to where your physician can easily know of problems before you do. Care can be administered in real-time, without the need to schedule appointments or wait until it’s potentially too late, and much more expensive, to treat effectively.

Innovation on the clinical side, while picking up pace in recent years, is still stifled by healthcare providers maintaining a wait-and-see attitude to issues regarding payment for such solutions and resistance to vastly altering the infrastructure that’s already in place. As legacy systems and processes are increasingly becoming digitized and modernized out of sheer necessity, advanced mHealth solutions will begin to be realized on a larger scale.

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Consumer–Focused Solutions

Outside the scope of using mobile devices for the delivery of healthcare, consumer-focused solutions like Personal Health Records (PHRs) and social health communities are other examples of how the healthcare industry is fundamentally changing for the better. The evolution of social communities in terms of healthcare puts personal wellness more in the hands of the patients themselves, rather than solely relying on healthcare professionals.

Allowing a patient with a certain disease or health condition to interact and engage with other patients sharing the same conditions in a social capacity allows the sharing of ideas, advice and solutions while providing an underlying support system that’s vital for anyone suffering from a variety of medical conditions. In the same way traditional social communities bring people together for a collective cause or discussion, social health communities provide the same personal infrastructure.

Two large-scale examples of current consumer-focused health solutions are Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, both of which aim to streamline, digitize and centralize consumers’ health activities, records and other data.

Google Health is a “personal health information centralization service,” which allows users to volunteer their health records, either manually or by logging into their accounts at partnered health services providers, into the Google Health system, thereby merging potentially separate health records into one centralized Google Health profile. Volunteered information can include health conditions, medications, allergies, lab results and many other elements. Once entered, Google Health uses the information to provide the user with a merged health record, information on conditions, and possible interactions between drugs, conditions, and allergies among other things.

Like Google Health, Microsoft launched a similar solution in October of 2007 called “Microsoft HealthVault.” In its simplest form, it’s a platform designed to store and maintain health and fitness information for use by both individuals and healthcare professionals. Access to a record is through a HealthVault account, which may be

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authorized to access records for multiple individuals, so that a mother may manage records for each of her children or a son may have access to his father’s record to help the father deal with medical issues. In terms of mobile connectivity and integration, HealthVault includes a “Connection Center” that allows health and fitness data to be transferred from devices such as heart rate watches, blood pressure monitors or otherwise into an individual’s HealthVault record. It can also be used to find and download drivers for medical devices.

Solutions like Apple’s HealthKit or Microsoft’s HealthVault are prime examples of the “eHealth” movement that’s been taking place for several years. As mobile technology begins to be integrated with such solutions, as is the case with HealthVault’s “Connection Center,” the line between eHealth and mHealth continues to dissolve and the benefits of these platforms multiply.

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CURRENT ADOPTION RATES

The mHealth market covers a vast array of concepts and technologies, and as such sees varying adoption on both the clinical and consumer side. Basic solutions such as SMS reminders and fitness and wellness smartphone applications are seeing high adoption rates due to their relatively simple nature and low barriers to entry. More advanced solutions, however, are seeing very slow adoption and innovation due to things like high regulatory scrutiny, education on the consumer side, and a lack of suitable infrastructure to support them.

Low Adoption

There are two prime examples of low adoption concepts in mHealth; mobile Personal Emergency Response Systems (mPERS) and wireless robotics. The first hasn’t seen true innovation since the concept was introduced in the 1970s, and has been embraced by very few providers as a result. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) is the concept of equipping consumers with the ability to signal emergency responders remotely when and if a problem arises. The “Life Alert” solution that’s been around for quite some time is a good example, but still relies on traditional landline-based communication to operate. Introducing mobile technology and data connections seems like the next logical step in the concept’s evolution, yet very little movement has happened.

Wireless robotics present a wide variety of barriers that attribute to its low adoption rates as well, including high cost of development and integration, advanced learning curves in terms of operation and maintenance and a basic lack of understanding, testing and implementation on a large scale. Given its highly advanced nature, many healthcare providers have been resistant to embrace the technology out of fear of the unknown. Implanting wireless sensors or employing wireless robotics inside a patient is an extremely delicate process that presents many potential risks for everyone

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involved. Providers could face costly litigation if something goes wrong due to inadequate testing or a lack of education, for example.

Another area that’s seeing marginal adoption is the area of asset tracking and document management using technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Deploying wireless communication to organize and streamline asset and document management is looked upon as an effective way to reduce costs, manage inventory and streamline overall access to information, but is limited due to provider resistance.

A move to digital asset and document management is a daunting task through the eyes of healthcare providers and facilities, as numerous legacy systems are usually in place and intense fragmentation exists. Though the long-term benefits are apparent, many providers are resistant to pull the trigger.

High Adoption

There are several key areas of the mHealth market that are seeing high adoption either out of sheer necessity or low barriers to entry. In general, concepts seeing high adoption rates are those driven by consumer demand such as social health communities, EMRs, smartphone mHealth applications and services and telemedicine.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Personal Health Records (PHRs) are two areas driving the most adoption and innovation as it streamlines the basic need to collect, organize and disseminate personal health information between patient and physician as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible. EMRs and PHRs represent solid building blocks to further innovation in mHealth, and as such, many big players such as Google and Microsoft are leading the charge to digitize medical records and make them available to consumers in a streamlined and real-time fashion. Technology like Google Health and Microsoft Vault are two large-scale deployments that aim to get the ball rolling on electronic medical and personal health records. Extending these solutions via mobile communications is the next logical step, and we’re already seeing a steady shift.

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The infrastructure in terms of cloud computing and mobile technology in terms of accessing the data increasingly being stored in the cloud has evolved to a point where large-scale adoption is happening at a rapid pace. The idea of “mobile healthcare” from a consumer perspective revolves around having mobile access to health information anytime, anywhere, which is why EMRs and PHRs continue to drive high adoption.

Other examples of mHealth segments driving high adoption are social health communities and smartphone applications related to health and fitness. The simplicity, ease-of-use and wide availability of these resources are contributing to their fast paced adoption and evolution. Again, consumer demand for such solutions has been a primary driver in the early innovation seen in these areas.

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DEVICES, PLATFORMS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The advent of new-age devices like smartphones has greatly affected the innovation and deployment of mHealth products, and is a growing trend in mHealth. For instance, the iPhone has evolved into much more than a consumer electronics device, its attractive interface, application marketplace, and consumer appeal have contributed to a revolution in mobile computing.

The iPhone, and more recently the iPad, has created a dynamic disruption in patient-to-doctor, doctor-to-doctor and patient-to-community interactions – all of which are meaningful for healthcare. More important than the technological barriers that the iPhone breaks down is the powerful distribution channel and social impacts it drives. While other popular smartphone devices like BlackBerry, Google Android, and new health-specific phones emerge, the iPhone has had an important role in mHealth awareness and adoption.

Web developers, HIT vendors, global technology giants, mobile device makers, and telcos all have instrumental roles to play in advancing mHealth. The healthcare industry is likely the most complex operating environment in the world, yet it has not embraced information technologies as other industries have in the past. Many believe the U.S. healthcare system is ten years behind most other industries with respect to technology innovation and adoption. As a result, the current healthcare system is composed of disparate legacy technology systems that are unable to address the dynamics required in today’s healthcare marketplace.

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Smartphone applications have allowed companies that have applications to keep closer contact with their customers, providing them with messages, account access, and promotions. Also, the creation of a portal through the application itself, has lent itself as a solution for vendors regarding HIPAA compliancy.

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FUTURE PREDICTIONS & LONG-TERM TRENDS

The future of mHealth and its benefits have already been largely realized, so the future of the industry will rely on the ability for those within the ecosystem to

overcome the many risks, challenges and barriers. The healthcare industry is one of the last big industries to be touched by automation, and it can be very conservative and set in its ways.

In addition, the enactment of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), Health Information Technology for Economic and

Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has accelerated interest and adoption of healthcare technology solutions. The timelines surrounding the adoption of these federal incentives, along with changing patient expectations on how information can be accessed are fueling some sense of urgency for the advancement of mHealth.

In a recent interview with the President and Head of Resurgens, the largest orthopedic clinic system in the U.S., he pointed out that appointment reminders would be a great service; however, communication electronically can, and has, led to malpractice issues, whereby another risk (or barrier) is created due to non-reimbursement from the malpractice suits, and a general fear of accidentally breaking the law. Overcoming intricate situations and risks such as these will ultimately define the future of mHealth in the U.S.

The future will also be defined by adoption, both on the clinical and consumer side. Adoption has historically happened faster on the clinical side, though consumer

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interest in new-age mHealth concepts is quickly gaining momentum as concepts like Personal Health Records (PHRs) and health applications for smartphones have gained in popularity. Large-scale deployment from the likes of Google, Microsoft and other industry players will work to define the future of the industry as well. A company like Google, who’s already begun building its “Google Health” solution, as well as controlling one of the most popular open source mobile operating systems in Android, can produce heavy market shifts stemming from one decision or solution offering.

Recent events and accelerated adoption have caused a stir in healthcare that many industry experts are considering to be the third wave of consumer-driven healthcare, where meaningful disruption and change are impacting consumer awareness, demand and engagement. This prediction is based on consumer access to information, which is a central theme of how mobile devices and wireless delivery protocols are impacting healthcare. Because of the technological inertia that plagues the medical community, mHealth innovation must be driven by consumers, non-traditional players, the general IT community, and more entrepreneurial, forward-looking healthcare participants.

Beyond the many barriers and the intricate nature of the healthcare system in general, one thing remains true; the benefits of introducing mobile technology into the highly complicated area of healthcare in the U.S. will have one of the largest impacts on our healthcare system since its initial formal inception. Because each and every one of us can be counted as ‘customers’ of this industry, this will eventually result in one of the largest impacts on our society that technology has ever produced.

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ABOUT MPULSE

mPulse mobilizes the consumer experience by making healthcare communications relevant to the modern lifestyle. We utilize complex mobile technology to provide simplified, streamlined solutions that enable health partners to effectively connect with consumers in the most relevant and appropriate means. By improving communication, we aim to improve the health and wellbeing of consumers everywhere. For more information, visit mPulseMobile.com, formerly a MobileStorm company.

Find out more by [email protected]

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