|
2009: a year of mHealth buzz and hype
Dec 22, 2009 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) --
Datamonitor believes that although healthcare is going mobile because specific aspects of the industry make this a uniquely perfect fit, the movement is due to shifts in the consumer market, not changes in the industry alone. Nevertheless, hospital IT directors will need to embrace these technologies and vendors should remember to incorporate consumer market lessons into their healthcare devices.
The 2009 healthcare technology buzzword was 'mHealth,' or mobile health. Datamonitor has seen a moderate but steadily increasing interest in this concept over the year as the phrase began appearing with increasing frequency in the media and at conferences. Unlike the pattern seen with the last healthcare IT buzzword, 'radio frequency identification' (RFID), a type of mobile health technology that became a 'craze' and then experienced a subsequent 'fizzle,' Datamonitor does not expect the mobile health trend to stop. But as with all buzzwords, some of the excitement is hype, while other aspects ring true.
Without a doubt, healthcare is going mobile. Considering that just over a decade ago cell phone use was essentially banned within hospitals and physician offices, mobile technologies now seem to be the one area in which healthcare IT faces few end-user adoption barriers. While there are still impediments to uptake, including emerging applications and resistance from IT departments, end-users are clamoring for devices because they make the lives of clinicians easier. The convenience that mobile devices offer is simply too compelling. However, Datamonitor believes that this phenomenon is not confined to healthcare. In fact, it is a simple ripple effect of what is happening in the consumer market in general and is a trend reflected in many other verticals, such as banking and government. Nevertheless, Datamonitor does concede that there are aspects of mobility that apply to healthcare only.
The hype: mHealth is its own special entity
The consumer market has embraced mobile devices for a number of years now for their convenience and connectivity and this consumer trend is pushing its way into the healthcare sector and making adoption easier in the provider environment. Mobile health is not arising by itself; it leverages the fact that nearly every one of its stakeholders already has a mobile device. Doctors, nurses and patients are bringing their own devices into hospitals and offices, using them for personal and, increasingly, work-related activities. But when reading about mHealth, too often it seems that many forget that the concept is part of this larger phenomenon.
What concerns Datamonitor the most, however, is the need to call it 'mHealth'. The word is poorly defined as it is, and the healthcare IT industry does not need another confusing term to add to the alphabet soup of 'EHRs', 'EMRs', 'PHRs', 'telehealth', 'telemedicine' and 'PACS', to name only a few of the currently available medical technologies. Furthermore, the term seems unnecessary. Eventually, a mobile device will be as crucial to the everyday practice of medicine as a stethoscope (in fact, today there are already mobile devices that can act as stethoscopes), so creating this additional distinction with the name 'mHealth' emphasizes a division between 'normal' healthcare and mobile healthcare where there should be none.
mHealth is predominately a marketing gimmick that will help increase attention on the technologies in the near term, but Datamonitor believes that the expression will fall out of use once widespread adoption is reached. Nevertheless, Datamonitor does recognize that this promotional tool serves a purpose (albeit a temporary one) and is being used in other industries. Healthcare is following in the footsteps of mobile banking (mbanking) and mobile government (mgovernment).
The truth: mHealth is different and will grow
To be fair, however, healthcare is different from the consumer market and does require additional attention and/or innovation in certain areas. The 'bells and whistles' of a mobile device, for instance, have slightly different uses in healthcare. MP3 players allow physicians to listen to a recording of a heartbeat or cough rather than just music. Cameras photograph injuries that would otherwise take a lot of time to explain. The ability to zoom in on a photo is particularly useful when looking at an x-ray. And, of course, texts, emails and phone calls help improve communication.
Datamonitor foresees clinicians using mobile devices to look up and enter patient information into electronic health records (EHRs), make diagnosis and treatment decisions when the patient is in another location, order medication, receive alerts, review electrocardiograms and dictate into EHRs. Patients could keep health information on their phones to allow access in case of emergency while also logging wellness information like diet and exercise details. Countless other uses have yet to be developed. This wide range of possibilities for mobile devices is particularly attractive to providers in inpatient settings that are moving from patient to patient during the day, although outpatient providers and patients will also benefit from mobile health. The plethora of healthcare-related iPhone applications already available and the increasing number of vendors making their products available on smartphones demonstrates the growing demand for mHealth.
The reality: hospitals cannot keep IT out, but adoption will take time
Hospitals, like most enterprises, have tried for years to keep only certain approved technology inside their walls. All other equipment was effectively banned. Yet, from cell phones 10 years ago to iPhones today, these prohibitions eventually break down. Healthcare IT departments, like the IT departments of other businesses, are realizing that they cannot limit the mobile devices their colleagues want to use; some physicians will prefer Blackberrys, others iPhones or Droids, while a third segment will be content with their basic cell phones, but all will use something. Instead of focusing on keeping these devices out, IT needs to concentrate its attention on properly managing the technology.
Still, IT departments will have the opportunity to adjust to this change. While mHealth will grow, it will take time. For healthcare organizations that have yet to deploy EHRs or are in the early stages of doing so, there are no EHR data to retrieve on a mobile device as of yet. Privacy and security, like in other areas of healthcare IT, will continue to be a concern: a manageable one, but one nonetheless. Finally, the number of mHealth products will have to grow and improve. Datamonitor would not be surprised if, in their rush to meet the mHealth trend, technology vendors 'forget' the integral characteristics of mobile devices that consumers prefer when designing their mHealth products for a healthcare audience, resulting in poorer quality applications and devices. Clinicians and patients are still consumers and will expect the same, if not better, experience from mHealth products that they do in the consumer market.
Christine Chang
http://www.datamonitor.com
Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means,
is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall
not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions
taken in reliance thereon
[ Back To Homepage ]
|
Home
Featured Article Archives
eNews
RSS FEED
