mHealth & Healthcare Integration: What's taking so long?

We all know that mHealth is here to stay.  Information Week predicts this industry could reach $61 billion in revenue by 2017.  For everyone with a SmartPhone, one of every two people have downloaded an app that can be considered a mHealth app.  That's up from 12% of all SmartPhone users in 2012.  What are a few of the setbacks that are holding the industry back from fully adopting them as a healthcare tool?  Delayed regulation on Apps that can be considered medical devices is one. The other is full integration into the healthcare system.  The information should also be added to a patient's carelog on their electronic health record.  The current healthcare system is also lacking in rewarding physicians for integrating these tools into their arsenal of tools they can use to care for a patient. Fierce Mobile Health points to app developers should take into consideration what problem their mHealth app solves and how it can help the current problems facing the healthcare industry and how they can alleviate some of the pain points in the healthcare industry including:  service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing, and leadership/governance.  Not only does this need to be done for the healthcare workers, but demonstrating the usefulness of mHealth to the patients and how it can work into their daily lives to promote better health for themselves. Overcoming this obstacle will a...
Source: ePharma Summit - Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: mHealth Healthcare integration ePharma Summit ePharma Summit West Source Type: blogs