Mobile Solutions, From Start to Finish

A new survey from Lawless Research, completed for cloud-based identity and access management vendor Symplified, found that 95 percent of information technology professionals have concerns regarding corporate apps accessed through smartphones and tablets.

When breaking down this 95 percent; 42 percent are very/extremely concerned, 36 percent are moderately concerned and only 17 percent are slightly concerned.

Sixty three IT professionals participated in this survey. Of this number, three-quarters are responsible for managing mobile employees. BYOD is one of their top concerns, which IT professionals believe will be a continuing challenge.  Those using smartphones and tablets are accessing five common apps – Microsoft Office and SharePoint, Oracle, Salesforce and SAP.

While mobile employees are already using these apps, many corporations are in the process of or have already rolled out their own apps.  These sets of apps bring their own challenges, especially when it comes to authentication, authorization and control of access.

Does your company’s IT team share the same concerns? What safety procedures has your team implemented?

In rural areas, comprehensive health care can be considered a luxury. In many of these areas, doctors are left to make a hard choice – send patients into urban areas for treatment or keep them in-house where the risks may be greater.

While access to healthcare will not improve quickly, mobile applications can help bridge the gap for rural patients.  With the increase in the number of smartphones, mobile health could become a daily practice. 

Like any new technology, mobile health apps face their own set of challenges: flawed payment systems, privacy and security concerns, market saturation, regulatory systems and lacking research. According to the National Journal, there are 40,000 health apps alone on iTunes, with 50 percent downloaded less than 500 times. 

Despite their challenges, the integration of apps into every day healthcare can reduce the need for doctors’ visits and can help offset the shortage of doctors expected within the upcoming years. Data can be transmitted via mobile apps to doctors at any time.

image by medcitynews.com

Do you know anyone who is being helped by mobile apps in rural areas? Tell us your story on Twitter: @FountainheadMob.

If you hate going to the doctor, mHealth just might help reduce the need for you to make that dreaded visit. 

Three doctors from Scripps Health believe that physicians will be able to see patients less often for minor problems and follow-up visits in the future. 

In a published commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Associations, Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute; Steven R. Steinhubl, director of digital medicine for Scripps Health; and Evan D. Muse, clinical scholar and cardiovascular fellow at the institute, presented their central thesis surrounding mHealth technology.

The cardiologists believe that mHealth technology provides a great opportunity for consumers to engage in their own health and partner with their doctors to help manage their conditions.  Mobile technology also provides increased convenience, a faster diagnosis and a reduced need for doctors’ visits, which could decrease the cost of healthcare.

While the positives are many, there are still many barriers facing mHealth technologies.  The authors cite financial incentives for in-office visits, the fear of weakened relationships with patients and the newness of apps as main concerns. Because of their newness, data to the effectiveness of apps is not readily available.  Consumer and doctors are still unsure of what apps to trust, despite the 100 apps that the FDA has approved.

More guidance to mobile health is on the way. Partners Healthcare’s Center for Connected Health has launched an online social health community – Wellocracy – that will provide expert advice on which apps and other mobile technologies will be best for consumers. Steinhubl is happy to have this new site and is looking forward to unbiased information.

Could you imagine your life with less doctor’s visits? Would you embrace the mHealth methodology? 

While mHealth apps are booming in the marketplace, a new study from IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics finds their ability to positively impact health is limited. 

The Parsippany-based provider of health care research found that further development of mHealth apps is needed before a large impact can be made within the marketplace. 

"We're not there yet," said Murray Aitken, executive director of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, as published by NJBiz. "We anticipate that will happen, certainly within the next five years.”

The study—Patient Apps for Improved Healthcare—found that most mHealth apps focus on general wellness and do not focus on those over the age of 65 who are dealing with multiple chronic diseases.  Part of the trouble with reaching this group is that only 18% of those in this age group use smartphones. IMS believes that by penetrating this market, progress will be made. 

Additional factors for success will include the recognition of credible evidence that mHealth apps have a positive outcome; increased recognition by medical professionals and consumers that apps can help healthcare management; improved security and privacy; as well as the integration of apps with existing healthcare systems.

As the marketplace adapts and regulations are put in place, IMS is positive that mHealth apps will be a strong complement to doctor’s visits.