Mobile Health Applications - Dissertation Example

?Literature Review Information & Communications Technology Information technology is capable of improving the safety efficiency and quality of healthcare. Distribution of IT in health care is little, but research shows that providers intend to raise their investments. Low distribution is due partly to the complication of IT venture, which goes further than acquiring technology to altering work processes and customs, and making sure that nurses, physicians, and other staff apply it. Moreover, certain features of the market such as disbursement policies that recompense volume and not quality, and the disintegration of care delivery do not encourage IT investment, and might hinder it. Because of its potential, policymakers should better comprehend how information technology is spreading across suppliers, whether act to spur more adoption is required, and thus, what steps may be engaged. This has been included to increase understanding of the current state in the health care industry (Kinkade & Verclas, 2008, p. 31). Information & communications technology have been widely used in many Western countries to improve many aspects of healthcare, such as expert diagnostic systems, online patient records, digital medical information systems to name just a few. Many of these technologies are expensive and involve specialist hardware and services, making them generally used in the developed world. Universal ownership of a much less expensive, generally available device, the mobile phone, has provoked a lot of new ideas about the potential for this technology in developing countries (Kinkade & Verclas, 2008, p. 31). The use of mobile phones has grown at a high rate over the past few years. As such, it has been an essential tool for current human lifestyles. Society has embraced mobile technology into many of its daily activities including banking, health and even in the management of their daily activities. Mobile health has developed through mobile technology promoting what is called m health or m-health in the healthcare sector (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 20). 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 centre 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 (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 20). Mobile health is the new method of interacting with patients. M-Health 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). Mobile health Mobile technology is vital in this research since it has the potential to transform healthcare in developing countries, mostly in the area of health consciousness schemes and training health care workers. Mobile phones are inexpensive to the inhabitants at large, making them more obtainable than computers. They are also cost effectual than hospital beds. Mobile phone applications in healthcare are a relatively new field and some of the literature is very keen about the possibilities that this opens up. Audie et al (2011, p. 34) have suggested that M-Health apps are “the killer application for cyber-infrastructure for health in the 21st century” –just as the invention of electric light was in the C19th. They go on to say that the enormous growth of electronic and medical health records and bioinformatics together with mobile phone use has meant that there is a huge potential for improving healthcare. It is important then to review what definitions of M-health exist in the literature as well as what purposes mobile phone applications can have in the field of health before looking at what issues there are in applying these to a developing country like Saudi Arabia. The UN foundation and Vodafone Foundation (2009, p.18) gives us a very basic definition – “the provision of health-related services via mobile communication”. However, it is useful to broaden this definition in order to see how this fits in to the context of Telemedicine. Thus, mobile phones are just part of an array of telemedical devices. At present, mobile phones vary in what functions they offer, some are very basic and others have all the facilities of the latest Smart-phone. The definition of M-health used by Galpottage and Norris (2005cited in Stockdale et al 2008, p. 36) takes this into account when it says it is “the use of small, portable, and wireless computing and communication devices to meet the information and services needs of healthcare providers and consumers”. Within this definition mobile devices can be identified as transceivers that run healthcare applications over wireless (and wired) networks. The armoury of such devices is increasingly diverse ranging from laptop computers, tablets, and PDAs to mobile and smart phone and RFID technology. The mobile phone is a revolutionary device that introduced a new way of not only communicating, but also functioning in society. The mobile phone was quickly transformed into a smart phone and now is becoming almost as powerful as a personal computer. The next step for the mobile phone is the applications that are developed to function in this device that eventually can cover almost any need that an individual might have. The rapid growth of the telecommunication industry across the world has created a revolution in the daily operations of society. This is particularly with the development of the cell phone as a tool of communication at affordable rates. This has ensured that approximately 50% of the world’s population uses mobile phones (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 25). Such technological developments have come hand in hand with easier and basic functions such as short messaging services (SMS) which are an effective and cheap means of relaying information. Smart phones, can almost replicate all applications of personal computers enabling easier browsing of the web, GPS navigation as well as communication through email. Such advances have enhanced M-health services. M-Health has evolved from the e- health sector, which describes the information and communication sector which uses computers, communication satellites and many other devices for the relay and delivery of health needs as well as giving out information on health related issues (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 55). In fact, M- health works with e- health where for example, an application-involving the relay and access of health related topics, maybe for a disease which requires an E-Health system to organize, manage, store and analyse all data . M-Health can thus be evaluated as a means of acquiring, storing, processing and accessing data from E-Health systems to give desirable results. Increased, performance, miniaturization, availability, data rates enhancement and expected convergence of such future systems accelerate the development of M-health systems in the next decade (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 28). The substantial growth in developing nations of mobile phone access by health workers, as well as the whole population contributes to development of M-Health. It helps lower the cost of relaying healthcare information (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 26). Low and middle income nations in Africa and Asia, due to various constraints in their health sectors, display effective M-Health usage. Therefore, M-health should be encouraged in the developing countries. Motivations in health care are studied to be emphasized in these countries. Shortcomings in the health sector, especially in developing nations, can motivate the growth of M-Health. These include: high population growth curves, high disease quotient, few health practitioners and lack of finances for infrastructure and health systems. Saudi Arabia, although a young country, avoids some of the problems that other developing countries experience in healthcare, essentially because of the generous funding of the Saudi royal family for healthcare of Saudi citizens. Mobile Health Systems This is to help comprehend what resources, product information and strategies that are required for deploying mobile heath systems and devices including cell phones, USB devices, laptops, handhelds, iPhone and how to secure them. Although mobile technology affirms that patient care increases due to instant health monitoring, controversies regarding the development of mobile communication 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 (Khoumbati, et al., 2010, p.78). With the increasing priority of hospitals to enhance health services, mobile systems are 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 is recorded, which aids the government and medical practitioners in determining the patient outcome. Moreover, in the United States, cell phones communicate with teens in America, who has infected disease. The teens usually ask information related to sex and other personal issues (Kinkade & Verclas, 2008, p. 33). 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. M-Health Applications An increasing number of developing countries are applying mobile technology to tackle health requirements. The M-health field is extremely dynamic, and the variety of applications being designed is regularly expanding. This paper studies M-health applications as it is shown that M-health programmes are acquiring strong support across areas and sectors as technology providers, academia as well as government. Mobile health has had various applications in the healthcare industry and this includes education and awareness on health issues as well as giving diagnoses and support treatments. It also assists in communication on health issues, eases the training of health workers, tracks outbreaks and epidemics of various diseases, monitors and collects data from remote areas as well as being an effective helpline for those in need of health care services (Payton & Tan, 2009, p. 22). Education and awareness using M- health aids can relay a mass of data through SMS and everyone concerned can directly receive information on various health subjects. It is effective, especially to individuals in remote areas. Information sent across to various individuals assists them in testing, treating and managing of a disease. In New Zealand, doctors send daily text messages to assist in delivery of primary care and appointments to patients. M-Health in diagnosis and support treatment methods helps health practitioners to make decisions in diagnosis, management and treatment of various diseases (Varshney 2009, p.13). Some of these systems even go an extra step of giving the actual procedures of dealing with a patient. As such, the cost involved in travel in terms of both finances and time reduces, becoming an effective tool during emergency cases. Mobile health contributes to access to health services through its use as a helpline enabling phone consulting, complaints, counselling and information on health services. Canada for instance has a government sponsored telehealth helpline application (So?Derback, 2009, p. 23). M-health acts as a tool for communication and the training of health workers, where it plays the role of a resource centre where the health workers can access information as well as a link up with other health institutions and individuals in a bid to get desired medical information. In the same light, it has helped ease the time required to mobilize health workers for training. The reliability of such networks constitutes the ability to provide end-to-end wireless health monitoring when needed and due to potentially life threatening situations, the reliability of message delivery to healthcare professionals is the most crucial in health monitoring (Kudbya, 2010, p.34). Mobile health aids in speedy access, collection and transfer of information enabling monitoring of diseases at a particular location possible. In the same manner, it is also easy to track an outbreak or epidemic in an area and thus promote quick action to mitigate the disease. Accurate data is necessary in enabling the development of health policies and projects and M- health has assisted in the data collection (Wiederhold & Riva, 2009, P.35). Mobile health allows the tracking of patient’s conditions as well as following up on their treatment plans. This is an effective means of managing chronic disease patients. Execution of this is through either a one way or a two-way communication application with the patients. M-Health is also expanding into emergency response, supply of pharmaceuticals as well as patient safety systems, promotion of health and to mobilize communities, continued training of health professionals, voice and SMS telemedicine systems for diagnosis and support for remote health workers in the extension of healthcare services. It has also promoted an M-learning platform for the public as well as in supporting chronic conditions such as diabetes, giving the patient the ability to self administer (Wager, 2009, p. 102). Research has addressed the question of what benefits a country will gain, in using mobile phone applications in its healthcare system. Laakko et al (2008, p.220) explores this and suggests that these applications are especially useful for populations in remote areas. Using such apps will both allow the patient to communicate and be monitored at a distance as well as providing very useful information on remote populations which can be made use of by the healthcare services. Women in societies which do not allow their examination by male doctors in some case and area of SA will also benefit as applications can, for example, be used to monitor the heart. Blackberry (2010) has also suggested that mobile phone applications can be used to monitor the air quality. As this environmental factor has a strong bearing on general health, this could be a very useful addition. M-health gives people access to information that wasn’t previously available as well as allowing more effective communication patient-professional as well as among professionals and patients themselves. The literature on M-health is focused on both the goals of improving the health of the population and helping patients and healthcare professionals make good decisions about healthcare. Some of the western countries utilizing M- Health applications include New Zealand, Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom (Hoyt & Yoshihashi, 2009, p. 32). 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 behaviours, notes, 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, p. 67). The most advance mobile application is the development of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) that is similar with the capability of computers or laptops (So?Derback, 2009, p. 43). This application authorizes patients to look for their medical data and allows practitioners to view and check the patient’s status (Wiederhold & Riva, 2009, p.94).). On the one hand, doctors used WAP-enabled technology to review the case of patients and access their medical history, which proved the efficacy of healthcare services (Hameed, et al., 2008, p.67). Mobile health has successfully embedded technology into the health sector promoting communication, and delivery of health services. It has also reduced the costs of health care delivery by ensuring that healthcare systems are effective and swift, and this replicates into better management of diseases. It is, however, notable that all M- health programmes have standard objectives, which are to increase healthcare information access, promote better diagnosis and tracking of diseases, create efficacy both in time and cost utility, in relaying data on public health, and finally in improving and growth of health practitioners training and ongoing education on health issues. Mobile health, by embracing technology into the health sector promotes efficient health contact; develop quality of healthcare by enabling easy access to data also facilitating quick communication to remote areas in need of healthcare services. It has also assisted health workers to make better decisions when dealing with a condition (Boulos, et al., 2011, p. 8). Type of Mobile health application What it does Article the information is from Fitbit tracks calories burned, distance travelled, steps taken and sleep quality using a 3D motion sensor mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Healthrageous Uses wireless devices to track key health metrics, and offer automated coaching challenges. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Calorie tracker Tracks daily calories and exercise. Includes an online food journal, weight management goals and caloric burn calculators. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Nutrition menu Provides information for over 93,000 food items, including restaurant food menu items and common foods. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults EatRight It allows the user to track food group consumption, glasses of water as well as fat in order to reach their diet and nutritional goals. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Mayo clinic Meditation It uses clinically validated meditation method to help users feel more focused and relaxed. It includes a short training video, reminders and tips for meditation. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Living strong my quit coach It is a physician approved application that creates a personalised plan to help the user quit smoking. It tracks the daily nicotine intakes and cravings also motivational tips and progress chat. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults . (mHealth Technologies, 2011, p. 31-32) Current Mobile Applications Increasingly industry, NGOs, Ministries of Health and various bi-lateral and multi-lateral benefactors and organizations are looking to mobile phones as a vital element within their plans for enhancing health results and well-being.  Countless parties have articulated great interest in becoming knowledgeable consumers and executors of M-Health (Zhenwei et al., 2012, p. 23). To supply this knowledge this paper explores this. 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, p. 12). Most hospitals are adopting the efficiency and reliability of smart phones. The introduction of Google Android paved the way to include in their market medical applications such as Health PAL 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 US Food and Drugs Administration. Recent application developed by the Android system is the mobile heart monitoring system, which grants users to see their electro diagram. 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 smart phones. 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% of physicians own smart phones. 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 encyclopaedia, medical application, NeuroRad and FDA recalls. These applications made the physician’s medical practice easier, which Sarasohn-Kahn (2010, p. 16) 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. History of E-health and M-health The history of E-health like health informatics goes back, to the development of the first mechanized pathology reporting appliances that were fitted in the very initial DOS-based non-mainframe computers. E-Health developed out of the laboratories into sanatorium at large, being applied as hospital management systems or information systems that facilitated patient scheduling, staff roistering, and very partial patient result coverage and, largely importantly for their “bottom line”, patient invoicing. Over the lifetime, these premature applications have matured, with newer applications added; though, the Holy Grail in health informatics has merely very recently been tried; that of a networked electronic patient evidence (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2010, p. 72). Until the internet era things had not moved too much more than that, as the charge of satellite transmission was expensive, and simple, old telephone system did not offer the bandwidth required to enable involvements that would regularly change clinical results. With the introduction of personal computers, email and the internet, the potential of diagnostic interventions are almost endless. Descriptions of telehealth against telemedicine are applicable. The majority agree that telemedicine is a compartment of telehealth. E-health, is almost reaching a tipping end, which is a tip where three features meet: contagiousness, small causes have large results, and change occurs at one remarkable moment. The internet has had a deep influence in contravening international border, facilitating the humanitarian attain of telemedicine, to profit remote communities. The Internet has as well facilitated remarkable inroads in health informatics. Web services have offered the middleware that is currently the “glue” that can link many contrasting health information appliances (Sarasohn-Kahn, 2010, p. 76). Which applications are relevant to (for example) diabetes, blood pressure, women’s health, children’s health. Wireless mobile handheld device Healths PAL (MedApps), this application shows how a wireless, mobile, handheld machine, Health PAL can involuntarily collect information from marginal monitoring devices in the dwelling. Health PAL is FDA-approved for use with blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and weight scales. Data is corresponded to electronic health documentation or the user’s Health Vault report. Consequently, care providers can evaluate patient data via enterprise point electronic health documentation or a web based patient administration portal for concern professionals, HealthCOM. Patients have the chance to be dynamically connected in their own healthcare, whilst remaining efficiently linked to their clinicians by giving out information for monitoring and evaluation. Clinicians can gain admission to data using a web-based patient organization portal for care expert (Rodrigues, 2012, p.28). In-home health monitoring system The Ideal Life Hub applies an in-home health monitoring system encompassed of a communications hub that joins with Ideal Life peripheral monitoring gadgets for health administration applications in congestive heart breakdown, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and hypertension. The system’s FDA-approved monitoring gadgets are designed for persons with chronic situation s such as hypertension, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. The system incorporates with many, diverse channels of communication, counting telephone lines, cell phones, plus the Internet (Rodrigues, 2012, p.28). Mobile health solution for diabetes management The Diabetes Manager is a mobile health answer for the administration of diabetes. It offers a system to keep patients in their disease supervision and support enhanced patient results through specialist system and clinical choice support abilities. Evidence of results reported statistically noteworthy improvements in the decrease of HbA1c intensities in patients with type 2 diabetes (Organization, W. H. O, 2011, p. 68). Mobile health solution for congestive heart failure This AVIVO Mobile Patient managing System is designed to apply in the proactive managing of congestive heart failure patients, by incorporating sensors with higher computational algorithms, wireless abilities, and web-based communications to facilitate early recognition, prevention, and cure of cardiovascular illness (Who Global Observatory For Ehealth, & World Health Organization. 2011, p. 15). Type of application How it is used Article it is from Wireless mobile handheld device It is approved for use with blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and weight scales. Data is corresponded to electronic health documentation or the user’s Health Vault report. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults In-home health monitoring system It applies an in-home health monitoring system encompassed of a communications hub that joins with Ideal Life peripheral monitoring gadgets for health administration applications in congestive heart breakdown, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and hypertension. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Mobile health solution for diabetes management It offers a system to keep patients in their disease supervision and support enhanced patient results through specialist system and clinical choice support abilities. mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults Mobile health solution for congestive heart failure is designed to apply in the proactive managing of congestive heart failure patients, by incorporating sensors with higher computational algorithms, wireless abilities, and web-based communications to facilitate early recognition, prevention, and cure of cardiovascular illness mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults (mHealth Technologies, 2011). M-health in the developing world Mobile technologies are progressively increasing in developing countries. There have been numerous new studies and developments in this area (Zhenwei et al., 2012, p. 20). Today, mobile phones are becoming a significant ICT device not just in town regions, but also in remote and country areas. The rapid development in the technologies, easiness of use and the declining prices of tools make the mobile a suitable and flexible tool to connection the digital split (Organization W. H. O, 2011, p. 36). M-technology is progressively being applied in the health care field. Government officials utilize M-Health to gather health-related information on the broad population. The application of M-health is a cost-effective method of discovering and monitoring health concerns, also directing the formulation of health plans. Programs to sustain the professional improvement of people in the health area, by means of m-Health technology, are becoming readily accessible. M-Health also gives health professionals access to patient information as well as admission to different information resources, both of which offer valuable support in the diagnosis and formulation of cure. M-Health could be mainly important to people residing in remote regions or those who are physically challenged (W.H.O Global Observatory for Ehealth, 2011, 64). How M-health users are persuaded to use M-health The majority of the m-Health technology intercession s discussed here are beneficial to a major population. However, it is vital to acknowledge that approximately 50% of the costs of care may be mainly hard to access via m-Health or have healthcare requirements addressed through definite m-Health intercessions. In spite of this concern, older adults have access to plus are using mobile machineries. The capability to use these equipments to address healthcare requirements has verified appeal to older adults. The profit that m-Health technologies can give to people with disabilities, or chronic diseases to better manage their health situations and thus prevent complications and hurt as well as provide location following capabilities for those with cognitive injuries are significant (So?Derback, 2009, p. 65). Conclusion In the up-and-coming countries, SMS based resolution are the most common among m-health programs. More than 500 m-health schemes have been organized around the world, and Africa is still the area with the majority m-health operations while the industrial world and other rising regions have witnessed stronger adoption development in the current years. References Blackberry, 2010. Revitalizing healthcare delivery with mobile communications. Europe: Blackberry. Boulos, M.N.K. Wheeler, S. Tavares, C. & Jones, R., 2011. How smart phones are changing the face of mobile and participatory healthcare: an overview, with example from eCAALYX. Biomedical Engineering, 10 (24), pp.1-14. 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