Mobile phones empower patients to self-manage chronic conditions
Mobile technology has the potential to bring better health outcomes for everyone, says Simon Eyre, joint founder of Appdragon SmartMed
H
ealthcare providers around the world face a major challenge in addressing the growth of chronic diseases. Providers such as the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) face
spiraling costs as resources are stretched to address the burgeoning cases of diabetes, coronary artery disease, respiratory conditions and obesity. At the same time the patients, spurred on by
proactive patient groups, are becoming more savvy and demanding better service from their local clinic or hospital. One way of addressing this imbalance would be to
empower the patient to manage their own condition, in the comfort of their own home. The outcomes for the patient are clear: less time spent travelling to and from clinics, fewer hours spent sitting in waiting rooms and greater control of their own conditions and, therefore, their own outcomes. For the healthcare provider the potential cost
savings are just one advantage. Proactive, self- sufficient patients can mean quicker recovery times when treatment is required, and patients being better equipped to understand the affects of diet, exercise and medication on their condition.
Smartphone technology In most countries around the world, be they developed or developing, the mobile phone is ubiquitous. In the UK alone there are some 65m active mobile phones, used by a population of 60m. Increasingly the vast majority of these phones are smartphones with the ability to provide the processing power and screen resolution for almost any application. In this way, telehealth - the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications - has the potential to really make a difference to how we live our lives. The smartphone is an intelligent communications
device that can be used anywhere the patient goes. This could be in their home, at work or even on holiday. Health workers can also use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, enabling them to effectively take the clinic to the patients, with access to patient records and a wealth of assessment and monitoring tools literally at their fingertips.
100 Global Opportunity Healthcare 2015 | Issue 01
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Benefits of telehealth Telehealth services, such as SmartMedTM
can deliver
a range of benefits for patients, the healthcare provider and the healthcare practitioner. Patients can enjoy better outcomes as access to specialists and other interventions is more timely. When clinic or hospital-based treatments or additional home visits are required, the healthcare professional can be equipped with a complete history of the patient’s vital signs and health assessment data, allowing them to focus more on treatments than triage and diagnosis. That said, if unnecessary admissions and re- admissions can be avoided in the first place, the
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