Mobile Health Care, Design and Development of a Mobile Application - Literature review Example

?Introduction The world is constantly moving due to technological advancements. The widespread application of information technology led to the mobility of people, which is not only limited to the physical movement and displacement, but it covers virtual activity. Technology bridges the geographic gaps of individuals across the world to maintain and improve communication. Communication has been the center of the world’s evolution because experts continue to develop systems that would make interaction easy and accessible. IT has been widely used in the field of business due to its proven benefits in enhancing customer satisfaction. Similarly, medical institutions aim to improve patient care through the use of mobile phones. With the extensive use of mobile technology, patient and doctors have established a relationship; hence, it enhances health care quality. Mobile health is the new method of interacting with patients. mHealth is defined as a “service or application that involves voice or data communication for health purposes between a central point and remote locations” (Freng, et al., 2011, p.5). mHealth uses devices that will connect medical practitioners with their patients, and mobile device has applications that made communication probable. Applications Used in Mobile Health The most simple and cost effective application utilized in mobile health is short messaging service (SMS). SMS is utilized by hospitals in engaging with their patients through sending reminders on their health behaviors, notes the confirmation of scheduled appointment, informs of the laboratory result, inquiry on hospital records, and sending encouragement for optimistic attitude (CTA, 2011; WHO, 2011). Through this initiative, the attendance of patients increased. Moreover, voice communication is considered as more costly than SMS; however, it enables real-time interaction without the need for face-to-face communication. This is more convenient to use if the patient and nurses prefer seamless communication through “handoffs and roaming” wherein there is a continuous communication despite the changes in location (Tallukdar, 2010, p.51). Hospitals are encouraging patients to use this application when they live in rural areas that need the immediate attention of medical experts. This application requires no time limit in consulting doctors (Khoumbati, et al., 2010). The most advance mobile application is the development of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) that is similar with the capability of computers or laptops (Erlandson & Ocklind, 1998). This application authorizes patients to look for their medical data and allows practitioners to view and check the patient’s status (Teong & Jeoti, 2005). On the one hand, doctors used WAP-enabled to review the case of patients and access their medical history, which proved the efficacy of healthcare services (Hameed, et al., 2008). Current Mobile Applications The use of mobile phones is only for simple call and text application, but with the innovation in technology, telecommunications companies continue to compete in improving the users interface through offering various programs to improve healthcare. Health applications are available on iPhones, iPads, or Smartphones that have the ability to download programs. These platforms are developed by Apple, Blackberry, and Google (Boulos, et al., 2011). Most hospitals are adopting the efficiency and reliability of smartphones. The introduction of Google Android paved the way to include in their market medical applications such as HealthPAL that can “automatically collect data from peripheral monitoring devices in the home.” This is used for monitoring blood pressure, weight scales, and pulse oximeters, which are acclaimed by FDA. Recent application developed by the Android system is the mobile heart monitoring system, which grants users to see their electrodiagram. The Android phone collects, stores, and processes the results to the internet that reached doctors who are authorized to access the site (CTA, 2011, pp.14-15; IMEC, 2010). On the other hand, the application is limited to patients that own smartphones. Blackberry aims at fulfilling what the patients need. The company is particular with ensuring the security of data because mobile phones are used in healthcare as their means of communicating vital information, so they are held responsible for the transmission of messages. Blackberry (2010) develops encryption, medical references, Hospital Information System, wireless push technology, web-based applications, and wi-fi capabilities, which are common applications in the field of mobile health. Recently, Blackberry launches Journal watch - Hospital medicine that includes recent news and journal researches. The new application of Blackberry includes the current medical news, research, guidance that directs the health of the patients. It caters to the areas of science such as cardiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, gastroentology, general medicine, and etc. Manhattan research predicts that in 2012, 81 percent of physicians own smartphones. This is due to the development of iPad applications that aid physicians in increasing patient outcome. iTunes offered Epocrates drug references, GI monitor application, medical encyclopedia, medical application, NeuroRad and FDA recalls. These applications made the physician’s medical practice easier, which Sarasohn-Kahn (2010) proves that doctors using medical applications have few medical errors. The Epocrates is viewed by doctors as helpful in their medical practice because it can easily access its other applications such as in anatomy and disease pathologies. Mobile Health Systems Although mobile technology affirms that patient care increases due to instant health monitoring, controversies regarding the development of mobile will boost the profit of telecommunications industry. That is why, most institutions failed to launch mobile application because mobile use is prohibited. For example, UK hospitals have forbid doctors to use mobile within its premises because its signals can interfere with medical equipments. However, it was justified by doctors that patient’s safety is assured though mobiles are used inside (Aziz, et al., 2003, p.788). With the increasing priority of hospitals to enhance health services, mobile system is utilized in most countries such as Africa, China, and United States. Africa is notable for the prevalence of HIV/Aids comprising one-tenth of African population. The medical workers use text messaging application to monitor the status of patients, and if they adhere to the process of treatment. The information are recorded, which aids the government and medical practitioners in determining the patient outcome. Moreover, in the United States, cellphones communicate with teens in America who have infected disease. The teens usually ask information related to sex and other personal issues (Kinkade & Verclas, 2008). Furthermore, in China, there are many services offered via mobile phones. It is used to enhance booking system, “drug authentication and tracking, remote diagnosis, and well-being applications.” Patients in rural areas can send a video that portrays their current condition, so the specialist sends the diagnosis. Thus, technology enables the mobilization of health care. References Aziz, O. Aziz, S. Paraskevas, P. & Darzi, A., 2003. Use of mobile phones in hospital:time to lift the ban? The Lancet, 361 (9359), p.788. Blackberry, 2010. Revitalizing healthcare delivery with mobile communications. Europe: Blackberry. Boulos, M.N.K. Wheeler, S. Tavares, C. & Jones, R., 2011. How smartphones are changing the face of mobile and participatory healthcare: an overview, with example from eCAALYX. Biomedical Engineering, 10 (24), pp.1-14. CTA, 2011. mHealth technologies to benefit older adults. California: Center for Technology and Aging. Erlandson, C. & Ocklind, P., 1998. WAP - the wireless application protocol. Ericsson Review, 4, pp.150-153. Freng, I.L. et al., 2011. Mobile communications for medical care: a study of current and future healthcare and health promotion applications, and their use in China and elsewhere. UK: University of Cambridge. Hameed, S.A. et al., 2008. An efficient emergency, healthcare, and medical information system. International Journal of Bioinformatics, 2 (5), pp.1-9. IMEC, 2010. Monitoring your health with your mobile phone. [Online]. Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005085500.htm [Accessed 2 Feb 2012]. Kinkade, S. & Verclas, K., 2008. Wireless technology for social change: trends in mobile use by NGOs, Volume 2: Communication Publication Series. USA: UN Foundation. Khoumbati, K. et al., 2010. Handbook of research on advances in health informatics and electronic healthcare applications: global adoption and impact of communication technologies. USA: IGI Global. Sarasohn-Kahn, J., 2010. How smartphones are changing health care for consumers and providers. USA: California Healthcare Foundation. Talukdar, A.K., 2010. Mobile computing. 2nd ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill. Teong, C.S. & Jeoti, V., 2005. 3G compliant WAp based system for medical data access. Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi Petronas. WHO, 2011. mHealth: new horizons for health through mobile technologies, Volume 3: Global Observatory for eHealth series. Switzerland: WHO. Read More