Emerging, Common & Best Practices

NoMoreClipboard, iMPak Health unveil Health Journals at HIMSS12 February 22, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The journals are designed to collect PHR information and provide a direct portal to clinicians and caregivers – all in a wireless package that's easy to use and unobtrusive More

mHIMSS tracks at HIMSS12 attract large audiences February 22, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Standing-room-only crowds attend the first mHIMSS-themed sessions Tuesday at the HIMSS12 Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, including a session explaining how a New York-based healthcare system developed a basic mobile platform for its physicians. More

Qualcomm shows off Qualcomm Life, 2net hub at HIMSS12 February 21, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Unveiled at last year's mHealth Summit, the San Diego-based telecommunications company's healthcare division now has partnerships in place with more than 50 mHealth vendors and providers. More

Philips Healthcare to offer a peek at its Personal Health Book project at HIMSS12 February 17, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Philips is getting ready to beta test its new post-hospital portal for patients, providers and caregivers, and will show off the PHR-like service next week in Las Vegas. The company has also announced a deal with eHealth Global Technologies to help cancer patients gather their records online. More

The numbers add up for Teladoc, Rent-A-Center February 14, 2012 | Eric Wicklund In its first year of contracting for telehealth services for all employees, the national retail chain sees savings of more than $700,000 in reduced healthcare expenses and improved productivity – and at least one life saved. More

New Jersey physician puts mobility to the test (and gets home in time for dinner) February 13, 2012 | Eric Wicklund Whether he's at home, in the air or on vacation, Richard L. Corson uses his laptop to keep in touch with his office. His mastery of mobility puts him on the leading edge of today's IT-enabled healthcare landscape. More

Qualcomm announces investment in AirStrip Technologies February 9, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The telecommunications giant, which launched its Qualcomm Life subsidiary at last year's mHealth Summit, is throwing its support behind AirStrip, which creates the technology platform to link physicians via mobile devices to patient data collected in EMRs, at the bedside and through home-based monitoring devices. More

Doximity's iRounds gives physicians real-time access to expert advice February 8, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The California-based online network, which boasts connections to more than 5 percent of the nation's physicians, adds tools to enable doctors to consult their peers on tricky cases, new technology and best practices. More

Ministry St. Clare, Advanced ICU mark six years of telehealth service February 8, 2012 | Eric Wicklund The Wisconsin hospital was one of the first community hospitals in the nation to launch a tele-ICU program in 2006. More

Ottawa Hospital's CIO explains his iPad program February 7, 2012 | Dale Potter While hospital executives decide whether to allow physicians to bring in their own mobile devices or set restrictions, Ottawa Hospital CIO Dale Potter explains how he decided to equip his staff with iPads. More

Mobile healthcare at HIMSS12: Usability, workflow and innovation February 7, 2012 | Jonathon Dreyer With HIMSS12 less than two weeks away, Nuance Healthcare's Jonathon Dreyer takes a look at several mHealth themes that are expected to dominate the discussion in Las Vegas. More

Utah senator plans legislation to remove telemedicine license barriers February 3, 2012 | Mary Mosquera At an ATA session in Washington this week, Sen. Tom Udall said he'll submit a bill this spring that would make it easier for physicians to be licensed to offer telemedicine services in multiple states. More

Book review: A common sense approach to enabling mHealth February 22, 2012 | Ritch Blasi As mHealth continues to be over-hyped by those in the healthcare and mobile communications industries, “mHealth From Smartphones to Smart Systems” might be the antidote needed to inject some reality into all the hype. More

Five events signaling the arrival of mHealth February 20, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD There have been many predictions of when mHealth technologies will break through in a big way. I will mention what I consider a few important recent events which are indicative of mHealth technology’s ‘arrival’ in the mainstream healthcare arena. More

Pharma looks to mobile strategies to effectively reach prescribers February 17, 2012 | Sanjay Pingle It is well documented that the pharma industry is facing many challenges in 2012. Drug makers are losing exclusive patents on drugs that have matured, causing unexpected losses of revenue in the billions of dollars. As a result, companies are cutting costs and significantly reducing their sales force – which in turn creates the new challenge of reaching practices and hospitals with fewer face-to-face office visits. More

Five reasons why digital health technologies need FDA oversight February 15, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD A draft proposal of the FDA guidelines for regulating mobile medical applications was released in July, 2011. In response, the mHealth Regulatory Coalition sent detailed comments on the proposal. More

Identifying the challenges and opportunities in mobility February 15, 2012 | Rob Shaughnessy Over the last six months I've had the pleasure of talking to many professionals leading mobile initiatives – from global telecommunications companies concerned with the impact mobile computing is having on their infrastructures to small companies looking to leverage the hundreds of thousands of mobile applications available from the many public and private app stores. From the largest to the smallest, there are very common themes in the challenges being faced. More

How do digital health technologies get to older patients? February 8, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD Much of the digital health technologies on the market today are wellness products used by the relatively younger segment of the population. More

Does the industry's roadmap steer us toward patient-centered care and HIEs? February 3, 2012 | Andrew R. Watson, MD At the start of a New Year, many people find themselves looking ahead as they decide upon their goals and how to achieve them. More

Managing the mobile workforce February 2, 2012 | Christina Thielst Mobile Health (mHealth) also involves managing the mobile workforce, but I don't often hear this administrative function being discussed. More

EHRs and mobile health: Similar paths to success? February 2, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD The healthcare IT (EHR and interoperability platforms and tools) and mobile health (or mHealth) industries are traveling on similar paths. They are both technologies in evolution that are sorely needed. More

Look, Ma - no wires! January 26, 2012 | Matthew Grob, CPHIMS, FHIMSS I started thinking about what will happen when my kids look back at videos shot when they were young. What about those images will look old-fashioned to them? And I realized that they would ask me one simple question – “What’s with all the wires?” More

WeSprout gives parents a PHR platform for their children January 24, 2012 | Eric Wicklund One of the nagging problems with the adoption of personal health records is the reluctance of the average healthcare consumer to take on the task of launching and maintaining that record. More

Reducing the rural patient's burden by expanding access with telehealth January 19, 2012 | Andrew R. Watson, MD Over the past several years, as debate about the future of healthcare has raged, “quality, cost, access” has become the mantra for thought leaders seeking strategies to render our system sustainable. More

MobiHealthNews: Challenges for mHealth 2012 January 18, 2012 | MobiHealthNews and ListenIn Pictures MobiHealthNews: Challenges for mHealth 2012, was shot on-location at the mHealth Summit this past December. This short video pulls from interviews with dozens of MobiHealthNews readers who shared their thoughts on the biggest challenges facing mHealth in the year ahead. More

Video: Dan Lubin: 2011 mHealth Summit January 13, 2012 | mHIMSS Watch a discussion with Dan Lubin, of Radius Ventures LLC, at the 2011 mHealth Summit, held in Washington D.C. More

Dan Lubin: 2011 mHealth Summit January 13, 2012 | mHIMSS More

2011 mHIMSS Mobile Technology Survey December 5, 2011 | mHIMSS This study provides information on a multitude of aspects related to mobile and wireless technology in health care organizations including general use of mobile technology, access to patient data, means for securing information, and the benefits and barriers to use. More

Exploring Mobile Health Consumer Trends January 17, 2012 | Rosemary Nelson, MSN, MA, RN-BC, CPHIMS Mobile technology is all around us, and is impacting all facets of one’s life in day-to-day living activities, business and healthcare. Mobile health (mHealth), a term used for the practice of medicine and public health, supported by mobile devices, has emerged in recent years primarily based on the rapid rise of mobile phone penetration. More

Ten Predictions for 2012 on Smartphones in Hospitals January 3, 2012 | mHIMSS With emerging capabilities far beyond phone calls, email, and even access to medical apps, smartphones have kicked off a communications revolution. Given this changing environment, we assembled a roundtable of industry and technology experts to compile this list of what 2012 will mean for smartphone use in hospitals. More

U.S. Healthcare and Mobile Technology December 1, 2011 | mHIMSS Mobile technology has not only mobilized people and data, but it has also simplified business. In general, mobile solutions are preferred for large field sales and large working staffs to enhance productivity on the road and allow for better cost returns. Mobile solutions for the healthcare industry not only focus on operational efficiency, but also prioritize critical information access and health and wellness management. Mobility in healthcare will bring efficiency not only with sheer focus on lower costs but to provide improved services at the point of care. More

Cutting Through the Hype: Evaluating Tablet PCs for Point-of-Care Productivity November 29, 2011 | mHIMSS Tablet PCs are more popular than ever. They're mobile, powerful and proven to help clinicians enhance productivity and efficiency. However, with more tablet PCs available than ever before, how do you choose the right tablet PC for your workflow? More

Providing Wireless Technology for Healthcare Transformation November 29, 2011 | mHIMSS The U.S. healthcare industry is undergoing a game-changing transformation in the way it delivers care. The “meaningful use” requirements under the HITECH Act, the new payment and delivery reform model under the PPACA and the consumer movement are all converging to help create a system that improves the quality of care and clinical outcomes, drives workflow efficiencies, and reduces and manages cost. Forward-thinking healthcare providers, payers and suppliers are taking up the challenge and looking to health IT to enable the new delivery system. Healthcare stakeholders are embracing mobility technology as a viable solution. More

New Horizons for Health through Mobile Technologies November 17, 2011 | mHIMSS The use of mobile and wireless technologies to support the achievement of health objectives (mHealth) has the potential to transform the face of health service delivery across the globe. A powerful combination of factors is driving this change. These include rapid advances in mobile technologies and applications, a rise in new opportunities for the integration of mobile health into existing eHealth services, and the continued growth in coverage of mobile cellular networks. More

Integration of Remote Blood Glucose Meter Upload Technology into a Clinical Pharmacist Medication Therapy Management Service November 17, 2011 | mHIMSS Pharmacists are becoming increasingly more active in helping to manage patients’ complex medication regimens in an effort to help detect and avoid medication-related problems. Working together with patients and their physicians as part of an interdisciplinary health care team, pharmacists are helping to improve medication outcomes. More

Inside the Mobile Health Jungle November 16, 2011 | mHIMSS No health care organization has yet conquered the mobile jungle. Adventures have been limited to a few exploratory pilots to test SMS messaging for compliance, some diabetes apps, and creative digital marketing scouting campaigns. More

Six Lessons Learned as Hospitals Journey to Smartphone Utopia November 16, 2011 | mHIMSS There is a communications revolution occurring in hospitals today. With highly mobile staff members and the increasing use of smartphones, new ways to share and act on information abound. Yet despite these technology changes, the need for fast, accurate messaging remains crucial to maintain patient safety at all times. More

Innovation in Ambulatory Practice: The Impact of Connected Medical Devices November 16, 2011 | mHIMSS This report reveals a glimpse of the future through the eyes of digital healthcare pioneers. Exemplary case studies from practices across the country describe effective use of digitally connected medical devices specific to heart and lung health. More

Lessons Learned: Mobile Device Encryption in the Academic Medical Center November 16, 2011 | mHIMSS The academic medical center is faced with the unique challenge of meeting the multi-faceted needs of both a modern healthcare organization and an academic institution. More

Txt4Health: Using Mobile Health Technology in the New Orleans Beacon Community February 15, 2012 | Anjum Khurshid PhD, MBBS (MD), MPAff The New Orleans Beacon Community is currently using Txt4Health approaches to reduce healthcare costs, improve population health, and enhance patient experiences when engaging in healthy practices. This program assists individuals with diabetes through SMS texting to educate and improve patients dealing with chronic disease. More

The Future of Wireless in Healthcare: Powering the Applications for 21st Century Care October 29, 2010 | mHIMSS Read this thought-provoking report, including detailed results from a Healthcare IT News survey, as well as case studies from visionary healthcare organizations. More

Advances in Wireless Technologies for Healthcare: Do’s and Don’ts of Medical Device Integration February 16, 2012 | mHIMSS Medical devices can no longer be seen as standalone components and have been targeted in Meaningful Use Phase 3 as a potential integration point. Creating connected devices, especially wireless ones, is a major requirement for most manufacturers but are not easy to architect because many medical devices are still based on traditional proprietary communication technologies and integration is notoriously difficult. Join device connectivity expert and software architect Shahid Shah to learn some practical "do's and dont's" of medical device to health IT software connectivity. More

Video Presentations from The 2011 mHealth Summit, December 5 - 7 2011 January 18, 2012 | mHIMSS This webpage hosts all of the video presentations from the The 2011 mHealth Summit, December 5 - 7 2011. More

mHealth and Mobile access to NLM resources January 16, 2012 | Paul Fontelo, MD, MPH Paul Fontelo, MD, MPH evaluates the role of social media and technology as the medical knowledge base increasing outpaces the rate of physician adoption. Dr. Fontelo explores the use of mobile and wireless technologies to support the achievement of health objectives and activities and the translation of evidence based medicine through mHealth and ICT4d in rural and developing areas. More

Ambulatory Mobility and the Mobile Clinical Assistant Platform November 15, 2011 | mHIMSS A presentation from Panasonic about Ambulatory Mobility and Mobile Clinical Assistant Platforms More

Definitions of mHealth January 5, 2012 | mHIMSS A collection of mHealth definitions from key healthcare organizations. More

Glossary of Terms February 6, 2012 | mHIMSS More

mHealth: FROM SMART PHONES TO SMART SYSTEMS January 31, 2012 | mHIMSS Click on the book cover to preview a chapter from the new book mHealth: FROM SMART PHONES TO SMART SYSTEMS More

5 FAQ's on SMS (Short Message Service) Text Messaging Implementation in Healthcare January 11, 2012 | mHIMSS This FAQ address common questions when implementing SMS (text) messaging within a clinical environment. The FAQ addresses important information related to privacy and security, implementation, and post implementation support related to texting. More

Meet an Informaticist: Jody Engel, MA, RD January 9, 2012 | mHIMSS Jody Engel, MA, RD, is a nutritionist from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and works to provide consumers with reliable, science-based information on dietary supplements and further expand the availability of information on dietary supplements and their use in promoting wellness. Engel also serves as the ODS director of mobile and social media communications. She initiated and leads the design and development of a free ODS mobile app called MyDS, short for My Dietary Supplements, to give consumers an easy way to track the dietary supplements and medications that they take and to learn about dietary supplements. Follow Jody on Twitter @jody88 and @NIH_ODS. More

Mobile Enterprise: Wireless Solutions from the C-Suite to the Field, (mobileenterprise.edgl.com) November 23, 2011 | mHIMSS Wireless and Mobile whitepaper library More

WIRELESS HEALTH: STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2009 REPORT November 17, 2011 | mHIMSS The current wireless home health market is $304 million, according to CTIA, the Wireless Association. Citing Parks Associates research, CTIA stated that the market is expected to grow to $4.4 billion in 2013, with estimated annual growth rates of 96 percent in 2010, 126 percent in 2011, 95 percent in 2012, and 68 percent in 2013. More