Convenience and affordability are the two top mHealth drivers, with apps leading to new modes of diagnostics and healthcare delivery, according to Tamara St. Claire, CIO of Xerox's Commercial Healthcare unit.
"As apps and solutions become more advanced, meaningful and ubiquitous, we will see patients becoming more active and engaged in their own healthcare because it will be convenient and cost-effective for them to do so," St. Claire tells mHealth News in an interview.
Peers share St. Claire's perspective on mobile technology adoption. The convenience aspect ties directly to patient engagement, which must be the key focus in mHealth tech development, according to Chanin Wendling, director of eHealth in the Division of Applied Research and Clinical Informatics at Danville, Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Health System. "These devices are part of how patients are living their lives," she says.
As a recent Research Now report reveals, an overwhelming number of patients and providers view mobile tech as a promising platform when it comes to both prevention and treatment of healthcare-related issues. The study states 96 percent of consumers believe apps will boost quality of life, and 46 percent of healthcare professionals intend to introduce apps to their practice in the next five years.
Going forward St. Claire believes consumers will push mHealth to its next level and third-parties will play a big role in creating the next level in bringing tech together to connect providers and patients.
"Right now, the mobile application landscape is exploding. It's great that consumers have so many options available to them, and as an industry it is important to find out what works well and what doesn't," she says.
For more information:
- read the mHealth News interview
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