Mobile Solutions, From Start to Finish

According to the latest Pew Research data, about 50 percent of Americans own smartphones and 25 percent have a tablet computer. It may be shocking to some that only 4 percent of association executives surveyed during December’s 2012 ASAE Technology Conference and Expo said mobile is where there are spending their time and money.

Even more surprising, nine out of ten said they were spending more on their websites.

“Associations still haven’t changed their budgets for technology to match the things that are happening around us,” said ASAE CIO Reggie Henry, CAE, who moderated the town hall discussion, told Associations Now. “We get hung up on technicalities, and that stops us from moving to the big picture.”

While mobile may not be a top priority for associations, conference attendees agreed it is the most pressing tech issue facing their industry. They will have to adapt in order to maintain communications with their members. But how to adapt to mobile is the question.

At this time, there is not an industry best practice on whether mobile is best reached via web design or mobile apps. It all comes down to interactivity and functionality. While Henry agrees, he believes associations should jump in and find what works for them.

Has your association adapted to mobile? Have you gone the app or web design route? 

As smartphone and tablet usage continues to grow worldwide, it comes as no surprise that consumers are using these devices to research their health information needs. The numbers are huge.

According to a recent Manhattan Research survey, the number of U.S. adults using mobile phones for health-related activities grew to 75 million in 2012, up from 61 million in the previous year. The number of people using tablets also grew, reaching 29 million. Researchers also found that there isn’t a generation gap either. Nearly half the number of consumers who use these devices are over the age of 55.

In the survey results announcement (http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/patient/more-consumers-get-health-info-on-mobile/240008624), Monique Levy, VP of research at Manhattan Research, commented, "Growing ownership of connected devices and the access to digital health tools and information they provide is helping to drive the broader shift from intermittent to continuous care. This trend shows vast potential for changing key dynamics of healthcare delivery, including patient engagement, provider involvement, and how preventive care is incentivized."

There are a number of apps out on the market. Whether they are being used as reminders to take medications, ways to monitor chronic diseases or as a resource to learn more about a user’s condition, mobile healthcare apps are revolutionizing the world of patient care. 

In today’s world, the question is no longer are you a Mac or a PC.  Now it is are you an iOS or an Android?

The answer to this question depends on how you look at it. When looking at overall market share, the answer is Android. Many statistics, including a Mashable.com’s July 2012 study, show that Android is continuing to increase in popularity.  

While Android may be considered the most popular platform, this trend has not conveyed into the healthcare industry. Apple remains dominant in this arena, with a recent article from MedicalApp Journal citing three studies on this topic. The results of the Vitera Healthcare Solutions survey align very much with what I saw at the AFFP Annual Meeting: the most common mobile device used among healthcare professionals was the iPhone at 60 percent, followed by the iPad at 45 percent and the Android at 38 percent.

The big question is why Apple continues to dominate in this arena. Many bloggers believe that the simplicity of the iOS device makes a complicated physician’s life simple. This argument makes a lot of sense. In a world where you deal with complicated patients, medical situations and equipment, something simplistic and user friendly serves as a great contrast.  Others believe that the answer is as simple as the design, aesthetics, reliability and customer service behind Apple products.