mHealth is the abbreviated form of Mobile Health. It is a term which is extensively used to define the usage of wireless technologies and mobile phones in the medical care domain.
It’s true that mHealth has emerged to be one of the most popular options of the various important areas of our world. The advents of technology and mobile devices across the globe have become crucial driving factors in the medical field these days, so where does it stand against traditional healthcare?
Traditional health vs. digital health
There are several barriers to the traditional health system. These include lack of proper operation and clinical workflows, uncertainty about legal responsibilities, lack of proper security as well as lack of incentives for the providers.
Also, the traditional health procedure that is often followed is not that consumer-focused. Rather, it is more clinically driven. Therefore, the advancement of mHealth has eliminated all these concerns as well as making the healthcare service more consumer-focused, cost-effective and accessible.
How is mHealth changing medicine?
According to a study published by the IQVIA Institute, the advent of mHealth has taken a huge toll in changing medicine. The widespread application of digital medicine could potentially save the health system of the United States by approximately 7 billion dollars. This report has successfully examined the strong impact of the digitally connected communication devices on various chronic health conditions and medical complications for the last 2 years.
For patients where traditional medicine has been found lacking, digital medicine has brought about a widespread change in the field. Mobile health has had a revolutionary impact on the global health market, so we are going to explain how it is actually working.
Current mobile health trends
The 5 basic medical populations, where digital health apps have widely found applications are:
- Diabetes treatment
- Diabetes prevention
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Asthma treatment
It has been found to be especially helpful in managing the various symptoms of chronic conditions, which include chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders and many more. In today’s world, mobile applications are one of the primary ways to spread awareness about a concern in order to be active in a particular domain.
It is also important to venture into the digital space of the health domain and explore it beyond our normal capabilities. Most health apps today are supporting the SMART on FHIR platform, which facilitates access to huge amounts of clinical data and other electronic health information by connecting to Electronic Health Records (EHR).
Without novel developments such as the SMART system, digital health would not have prospered as it did. But it is also true that there is a tremendous competition in the field of digital health, so it is very important that product positioning along with a properly defined competitive advantage is taken into account when developing a health app.
Real-time analysis and assessments
The important application of this concept is making people aware of the various medical services available for them. It helps in educating the consumers about the services of healthcare through the use of various electronic communication devices and also allows doctors in making real-time evaluations of their patients.
This concept is applied to the following areas:
- Surveillance of various diseases
- Tracking epidemic outbreaks
- Managing chronic diseases
Final thoughts
The total worth of the global mHealth market is approximately 25 billion dollars in today’s world and it is expected to keep growing exponentially. After going through a severe assessment analysis, mobile health has successfully survived for the general public. It helps in supporting long-term conditions, mobilizing various communities promoting health and services, providing professional development and training to healthcare workers, surgical follow-ups, monitoring patients remotely with clinical care, providing health extension services and pharmaceutical integrity of supply chain as well as health management for the telemedicine market.
By successfully implementing mobile devices and other new technologies into the field of medicine, healthcare, and even scientific research, professionals are going to find their work much easier and profound than before, ending in better healthcare procedures and overall well-being for everybody.
