I remember quite clearly what life was like before the now-ubiquitous Internet, mobile phone, and iPad. Information transfer moved at a far more leisurely pace, accompanied by a curious absence of beeping, tweeting, and pinging. There was time to absorb, collate, and ration data. Information was hard to get, and therefore valuable.
If your ankle ligament snapped, you would have had to head to emergency or make an old-fashioned doctor's appointment for information and treatment. A predictable sequence of tests and check-ups would then proceed at snail's pace. For more information, you could limp to the library and physically find a journal or book on the topic.
Recently facing that very scenario, I was able to instant message my doctor, who called from her smartphone to give me instructions (ice, elevation, no walking) and arrange for an immediate X-ray. One day later, radiology e-mailed her and texted me that there were no broken bones. I then did a quick web search— via a mobile medical app—on nonfunctioning ligaments and what to do about them.
Without registering it, I was ankle-deep in the flexible, easy access, data-rich world of mobile health. Mobility in this field means that event-driven patient care can occur in real time, and data can be routed immediately to the appropriate user, whether that is the clinician, hospital staff, patient, or patient's family. However, does this necessarily mean better patient care and improved outcomes?
Big business certainly thinks so. Industry analysts at GlobalData estimate that the global mHealth market will reach $11.8 billion by 2018, an estimated 900% increase over seven years. With nearly 85% of people on Earth currently owning mobile phones according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and over 18,000 health apps on Apple's app store alone, it is safe to say that the mHealth revolution is already well underway.
But how are healthcare organizations implementing and adapting to the new technologies and increased mobility? How are security of information delivery, access, and patient quality of care affected? In this issue of Horizons, the challenges and opportunities presented by mHealth are discussed from a broad range of perspectives, including manufacturing, regulatory, clinical, and healthcare technology management.
From an expert's discussion of what it will take to harness the mobile revolution and improve patient care, to articles on mHealth interoperability, security and compliance, device design, and the latest apps and wearable devices, this issue offers a comprehensive look at mHealth today and a glimpse into the future of mHealth.
As I was writing this, the irony of being immobile while finalizing an issue on mobile health was not lost on me. Fortunately, thanks to having all of humanity's shared knowledge at my fingertips, my immobility turned out to be not only bearable, but also downright informative.
This issue of Horizons examines the latest practices and challenges in mobile health and wireless medical devices, as well as offering advice and practical tips from manufacturers, regulators, clinicians, and wireless experts. This is the latest in a series of special-topic Horizons, published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
Founded in 1967, AAMI is a unique alliance of nearly 7,000 members united by the common goal of advancing safety in medical technology through effective standards, educational programs, and publications.