Technology has now stretched far wide in the spectrum of modern progression. The invention and perpetual elaboration of machineries, appliances, and transport systems have unquestionably trimmed the hours of the busy person, and have educated and broadened the knowledge of the illiterate. Communication for one has never been better through faster exchange of messages, clearer correspondence, and easier access to people all over the globe which result to a greater precision in information dissemination. This advancement has been greatly used to advantage by the phenomenon of what has been termed as “mobile health” or “mhealth”, defined as the practice of medicine and rendering of health services with the aid of mobile phones.
Professor Robert Istepanian succinctly defines it as the “use of emerging mobile communications and network technologies for healthcare”. Mobile health has been a big boom in the healthcare industry and although simple as it may seem, it has raised a lot of confusion and many have expanded its definition. Mobile health can be further expounded as the provision of care through wireless communication. This may encompass the creation, storage and retrieval of health care records; collection of data, inscription and transmission of medical prescriptions; monitoring of patient conditions; elucidation with other health care practitioners; real time patient communication, instruction, review and assessment of lab tests and monitoring of patient outcomes attained through the broad scope of wireless communication such as Bluetooth, infra-red, GPRS and wireless fidelity.
With this explosive rise in the use of mobile technologies apparent as a great part of people’s lives, UN foundation and Vodaphone Foundation Company has made a partnership as they see the opportunity of mobile technology for healthcare to create a better world. Mobile Health, although still in its early stages, has shown a promising potential in transforming health care delivery. These two foundations commits to addressing the pressing issues concerning health care delivery as outlined by their three core commitments:
(1) to support the use of rapid response mobile telecommunications to aid disaster relief;
(2) to develop health data systems that improve access to health data thereby helping to combat disease; and
(3) to promote research and innovative initiatives using technology as an agent and tool for international development.
They continue to work on the improvement of innovative technologies that will increase benefits especially in the area of patient monitoring, tracking, and treatment support.
As mentioned, mobile health may still be in its early phases but already, it has contributed significantly in health care delivery. Information dissemination via text message to people in remote areas, where there is an impelling need for health awareness, has been proved not only to be economical and efficient, but most importantly, effective in delivering information about transmissible diseases. This may be a specific benefit for hard to reach areas where there are absence of health centers that could provide valuable details. An example of application playing this role is Frontline SMS, a software that allows sending and receiving messages to large groups of people when installed in mobile phones. There is an incredible expanded access to communications so provision of health care is delivered at a time when it is needed most. Communication is the focus of this application giving rise to improved diagnoses and tracking of patients, recording of drug adherence, and evaluation on the outcome. Furthermore the lack of workforce against a growing population located at suburbs and outskirts, which used to pose a problem, can now be addressed.
Utilization of the modern advancements to enhance the quality of the health care delivery is an ingenious scheme that could change the face of the health industry today. It is commendable that we are able to put into good use the technologies we have today for the improvement of our own well-being.
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