1) The document discusses mHealth, which is defined as medical and public health practices supported by mobile devices like phones and tablets. 2) mHealth has the potential to reduce visits to hospitals and doctors by allowing people to monitor their own health and upload data to software for remote monitoring and advice. 3) The main benefits of mHealth are cost savings, as millions can be remotely monitored by software instead of in-person visits, freeing up health resources.

1. TECH TALK Qx_Layout 1 13/12/2012 09:52 Page 1
accessawareness
TECH TALK
Guy Dewsbury
explains how and why
mHealth has the
potential to usher in a
new era of medicine…
A sign of things to come – the
US-developed BodyGuardian
Remote Monitoring System
already lets physicians remotely
monitor the biometric data of
outpatients over the internet
I
n its publication mHealth: New
horizons for health through mobile
technologies*, the World Health
Organisation defines mHealth as
“Medical and public health practice
supported by mobile devices, such as
mobile phones, patient monitoring
devices, personal digital assistants
(PDAs), and other wireless devices”
mHealth is something that is set to
affect everyone. It has the potential to
make visits to the hospital or doctor less
frequent, as advice is increasingly
provided online rather than through faceto-face consultations. Through mHealth,
people can monitor their own conditions
and use a mobile phone, tablet computer
or other device to upload their health data
to software that will then gauge the
nature of their condition. If the readings
taken are out of their ‘normal’ range,
appropriate advice can swiftly be sent via
electronic means to help the person’s
condition improve.
Cost savings
Another feature of mHealth systems is
that they can be connected to external
sensors, new varieties of which are being
developed all the time. These sensors
might be designed to be worn throughout
the day or at specific times, with the data
they gather being automatically
transferred to some form of monitoring
software. Health professionals may
therefore potentially not be involved in an
individual’s care until a critical situation
calls for it – in which case, the
aforementioned software will alert the
health professional who can then take
appropriate action.
The main reason for using mHealth
widely is that there are clear cost savings
in doing so. Millions of people can be
monitored by software, and only when
*Avilable as a PDF from goo.gl/TL0t9
their health deteriorates will
professionals have to get involved. This
would have the effect of freeing up health
and social care resources and decluttering hospitals and health centres.
Another factor is that information can
now be securely stored online. In time,
everyone’s personal electronic health
records will be held online where they
can be shared
between health
professionals as
and when required.
Access to online
health data could
also lead to the
development of
mobile apps able to provide personalised
health suggestions and guidance.
If and when professional intervention
is required, it’s likely that this will
initially take the form of a video call to a
person’s home, enabling them show the
professional areas that may be injured or
inflamed, for example – just as people can
do with a webcam today.
Location-based mHealth could provide
the precise whereabouts of a person
should they suddenly become ill, and send
the relevant location data directly to an
ambulance or health professional who can
then promptly attend to the person.
This might all seem a little ‘space age’,
but to ensure that people can continue to
obtain the expertise and treatment they
need, digital healthcare systems based on
mHealth concepts
will have to be
adopted by our
local authorities
and institutions in
the years ahead.
It could well
mean that people’s experience of
healthcare in the future will be a little less
personal – to the point where actually
speaking to someone face to face will be
something you have to pay for if you not
wish to use a digital service.
It is therefore essential to be
prepared for the transition, as it is
happening now. If you are not currently
a regular user of modern information
technology (computers, mobile phones,
tablet devices) it might be worth
enquiring at colleges and other
education providers in your local area
about technology lessons. Ultimately,
the move towards mHealth is worldwide
and inevitable.
“The main reason for
using mHealth widely is
that there are clear cost
savings in doing so”
Not rocket science
As new technologies emerge over the
coming years, mHealth will be able to
adapt to them. One example is the
development of location-based services,
similar to the GPS-enabled map apps that
smartphone users will be familiar with.
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