Health Disparities

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mHealth is more than just a topic, it may represent the key to reducing the digital divide among populations and serves as a catalyst for reducing health disparities around the world. 90% of the world’s population lives within reach of a cell phone signal. Whether it is compliance with medications via text messaging or delivering care to populations outside the reach of traditional care settings, mobile health IT is changing the way the world approaches health care. Mobile technology is a pathway to reduce disparities and promote healthy living regardless of where an individual lives in the world.

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Post-discharge plans get an mHealth boost May 15, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 Vree Health's TransitionAdvantage program is being launched in Montana and Connecticut, in an effort to show that the mHealth solution can work in both rural and urban settings.  More
Mobility: Key to overcoming barriers to clinical transformation and ACOs May 14, 2013 |
Matt Patterson
 Matt Patterson, AirStrip's senior vice president of business transformation, discusses the advantages that mobility offers in transitioning to an accountable care setting.  More
Status quo doesn't sit well with the innovation team at Boston Children's Hospital May 14, 2013 |
Erin McCann
 At a recent Institute for Health Technology Transformation event in Boston, the hospital's chief innovation officer, Naomi Fried, explained how four new mHealth tools are improving the inpatient experience for patients, families and clinicians.  More
Tuckson tells the ATA to keep being disruptive May 10, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 The former UnitedHealth executive helps close out the 18th Annual International Meeting & Exhibition with a call for meaningful innovation.  More
UPMC doc states his case for ROI in telemedicine May 7, 2013 |
Mike Miliard
 In a session at the ATA's 18th Annual International Meeting & Trade Show, Andrew Watson examines the value derived from UPMC's programs to show 'how one model can work for telemedicine.'  More
ATA keynote: 'Not a technology problem' May 7, 2013 |
Mike Miliard
 In a Monday morning keynote at the ATA's 18th Annual International Meeting & Trade Show, Oracle's chairman calls for collaboration and silo-busting to realize telemedicine's promise  More
ATA breakfast panel takes a look at connected care - and 'Super Docs' May 7, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 A Monday morning discussion hosted by Healthcare IT News at the ATA's 18th Annual International Meeting & Trade Show touts the benefits of telemedicine in four of the nation's largest healthcare networks.  More
Qualcomm Life acquires HealthyCircles May 6, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 The San Diego-based developer of the 2net hub will add HealthyCircles' care management platform to its portfolio, creating an environment for all members of the post-acute care team to share data.  More
ATA's first-ever venture fair features innovation - and a few words of caution May 6, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 The Sunday morning session brings together entrepreneurs and venture capital experts to see the latest in telemedicine ideas and discuss the positives and pitfalls of VC funding.  More
ATA kicks off its annual meeting with a call for Mercy May 6, 2013 |
Mike Miliard
 The American Telemedicine Association highlights the Missouri-based healthcare network in Sunday's opening plenary to kick off the 18th Annual International Meeting and Trade Show.  More
Applying mobile health strategies to drive greater patient engagement and provider accountability. May 3, 2013 |
David C. Bjork
 In this contributed commentary, Telcare President David Bjork identifies the value of mHealth in the patient-provider dynamic and explores how this can be used to shape the future of healthcare.  More
LyfeChannel wins HHS mobile app challenge May 1, 2013 |
Erin McCann
 The California-ased company wins the $50,000 grand prize for its myfamily app, which is designed to help family members better manage an entire family's health by using healthfinder.gov content.  More
A diabetes prevention coalition meets in NYC - will mHealth be on the agenda? May 15, 2013 |
Eric Wicklund
 Like any chronic condition, diabetes is a disease that must be managed continuously - not just when you're visiting with your endocrinologist or doctor. A care management plan, therefore, must involve family members, other caregivers, schools and employers.  More
 
Getting at the heart of readmissions May 14, 2013 |
Alan Portela
 I will always stay true to my belief that health systems need to take an enterprise-wide approach to mobility. But at the same time, I'm often asked by hospital CEOs and CIOs how they should prioritize mobility when it comes to different care areas. My first answer is to look at your current challenges and strategic initiatives and then ask how mobility can help you to get there. While I always emphasize the benefit of mobility across all departments, cardiology is where I see the potential for mobility to make the most immediate impact - especially when it comes to improving outcomes and reducing readmissions.  More
 
Innovation in telemedicine: An entrepreneur's perspective May 7, 2013 |
Yulun Wang
 The need to provide high-quality healthcare to everyone while reducing costs has reached a crisis level, where it's a major focus of the highest government offices. More and more politicians and healthcare leaders are realizing that telemedicine is clearly a cornerstone of the solution. This is tangibly seen by the increasing number of healthcare systems that are adopting telemedicine, by the growth of ATA and by industry investments in telemedicine products and services.  More
The year ahead for the ATA and telemedicine May 7, 2013 |
Edward M. Brown
 Telemedicine as we know it has been around for almost 50 years. It has moved from humble beginnings as an experimental curiosity delivering rural healthcare to become something on track for mainstream acceptance across the healthcare system.  More
5 questions about mobile heath (mHealth) and defining what it is. April 26, 2013 |
Jonathan Levoy
 With the emergence of mHealth, telehealth has become a sub-category inside the definition of mHealth.  More
Remote patient monitoring will lead value-based healthcare April 25, 2013 |
David Lee Scher, MD
 Traditional health insurance reimbursement to providers (though "payment" is a more appropriate word) for healthcare services and products is at the root of our healthcare crisis.  More
Serendipity and personalization and connected health April 25, 2013 |
Joseph C. Kvedar, MD
 In a world where most folks change jobs every couple of years, people are often amazed to hear that I started work in connected health 19 years ago. Implicit in their amazement is a question: "Why did you stick with it so long?" The quickest response is that the work we started back then is not yet finished. A more accurate answer is a bit more complex.  More
'Big Med' and telemedicine April 22, 2013 |
Jonathan D. Linkous
 There has been increasing attention to the rise of "Big Med" -- a term coined by Atul Gawande in the August 2012 edition of The New Yorker. The term relates to the accelerating trend in mergers, acquisitions and affiliations that are taking place throughout healthcare. Coupled with this is the use of new approaches in the delivery of care that adapts strategies used in retail and other sectors.  More
Mobile Shmobile April 18, 2013 |
Matthew Grob
 Mobile health is hot. It's innovative. It's impactful. It matters. But it isn't everything.  More
Reflections on 3 years of progress in connected health April 11, 2013 |
Joseph C. Kvedar, MD
 It has been three years since the cHealth blog entered the blogosphere, and it's been a lot of fun. I recently looked back to see if there are highlights or trends in my posts and/or if my thinking or communication had changed dramatically in three years. Although not dramatic, if you look at these writings over time, you can see a meaningful shift in thinking. With that background in mind, here is an attempt to stitch together a narrative of the last three years worth of posts.  More
Five imperatives of patient-centric healthcare April 4, 2013 |
David Lee Scher, MD
 In previous posts I discussed how patient-centric care differs from patent-centered care and how patient empowerment must precede patient engagement. I would like now to delve into what I consider critical elements of patient-centric care. They all involve technology to various extents.  More
Remote patient monitoring, part 3: The ideal RPM system April 1, 2013 |
David Lee Scher, MD
 Remote patient monitoring may serve patients who are in the post-acute care phase of recovery from a hospitalization as well as those with chronic diseases.  More
mHealth Summit 2011 - Special Session // EHealth: Exploring Innovation and Collaboration in The Americas March 20, 2012 |
mHIMSS
 The purpose of this panel is to present two innovative and collaborative initiatives, destined to address the issues of inequities in health, in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Health disparities between groups with different levels of underlying social advantage are the product of the action of factors know as the social determinants of health, which include, among many others, poverty, gender and ethnicity.  More
mHealth Summit 2011 - Special Session // Deloitte: A New Model for National-level mHealth Planning March 20, 2012 |
mHIMSS
 mHealth Summit 2011 - Special Session // Deloitte: A New Model for National-level mHealth Planning This panel addresses the establishment of a public-private partnership for creating a national mHealth plan in Tanzania. The panel discusses barriers, solutions, and considerations when developing a national strategy to implement mHealth solutions.   More
mHealth Summit 2011 - Special Session // mHealth Alliance Strategy Launch March 20, 2012 |
mHIMSS
 The mHealth Alliance was established in 2009 to promote the enabling environment that allows mHealth to support the achievement of health priorities in low and middle income countries. Please join Executive Director, Patty Mechael, as she unveils the mHealth Alliance’s refreshed strategy for 2012 and beyond. With the help of the mHealth community, the mHealth Alliance has redefined its core set of priorities and reworked its approach to partnerships. The Alliance and its partners will continue to expand upon its role as a broker and an advocate for stakeholders across the mHealth ecosystem and around the world.  More
Mobile Health for Reducing Health Disparities. Does it Work and How Will we Know? March 13, 2012 |
Ida Sim, MD, PhD
 Seminar given at the Medical Effectiveness Research Center, University of California San Francisco, June 2011. The presentation addresses emerging mHealth trends in relation to the current state of the mHealth industry.  More
mHealth Summit 2011 - Research Track // HIV January 19, 2012 |
Foundation for NIH
 Session presentations describe a range of international and domestic studies examining the effects of mobile health applications for medication adherence to HIV medications, data mining of text messages for evidence of behavior change, and efforts to improve sexual health.  More
Featured
Delivering Accountable Care with Remote Monitoring for Chronic Disease Management
Resource Central
 In an effort to bend the cost curve and address chronic conditions, leading healthcare organizations have implemented various solutions. This white paper outlines why now is the ideal time for healthcare organizations to move past the pilot stage and roll out and scale remote monitoring for chronic disease management. In addition, it explores how remote monitoring can improve the patient’s lifestyle, help patients with better self-management of conditions and reduce expenses for providers.   More
Securing Mobile Devices in the Business Environment May 7, 2012 |
IBM
 As employees bring their mobile devices to the workplace, while it may increase productivity and reduce cost, it also causes security weaknesses. IBM has authored a white paper, "Securing Mobile Devices in the Business Environment." Download this paper to learn more about mobile security device threats and how to establish a mobile security strategy.  More
Latinos and Digital Technology, 2010 November 22, 2011 |
Pew Research Center
 This study, conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, evaluates the use of digital technology among the Latino community and compares across various ethnicities. Key findings include the fact that Latinos lag behind other communities in terms of home broadband access but have similar demographic rates of internet and cell phone use.  More
Improving the Health of Hispanics Using Mobile Technology November 17, 2011 |
HolaDoctor
3Cinteractive
 Nearly 50% of Hispanics own a smartphone (compared to 27% for non-Hispanic whites) and a higher percentage of Hispanics (25%) have used their mobile phone to search for health information than non-Hispanics (15%). In short, the opportunity for deploying mHealth with Hispanics is immediate and significant.  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
BYOD in Healthcare Organizations: Top 6 Risks & How to Avoid Them June 18, 2012 |
mHIMSS
 The BYOD movement has been helpful to health care organizations because it increases productivity and convenience for staff while allowing cost savings for the organization. However, these employee mobile devices need to be controlled securely when used for business reasons. If not, unauthorized users could enter your network and access sensitive data. In addition, if controls are not put into place, these employee devices could provide a risk to your entire infrastructure.   More
George Washington University Course: Innovations in Telemedicine and mHealth April 2, 2013 |
mHIMSS
 Advances in wireless broadband networks, almost ubiquitous mobile phone penetration, and data compression technologies are providing new avenues for radical change in the way doctors practice medicine and patients access care.  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
60 Minutes Features Autism Apps November 30, 2011 |
mHIMSS
 In its October 23 episode, the CBS News magazine "60 Minutes" reported on software for the Apple iPad and other tablet computers that allows people with autism and other communication disabilities to use the iPad as a communicator. Correspondent Lesley Stahl interviews people with autism as well as family members, doctors and therapists on the benefits these apps have had for many people.  More
Featured
mHIMSS Research Map
mHIMSS
 The mHIMSS Research Map identifies global mhealth research projects around the world.   More
Definitions of mHealth
mHIMSS
 A collection of mHealth definitions from key healthcare organizations.  More
Apps to Aid Healthcare Delivery in Disparate Communities: A Guide from mHIMSS April 25, 2013 |
mHIMSS
 Mobile devices and smartphones are increasingly being leveraged as a platform for patient engagement. These devices continue to show promise in reducing barriers to care worldwide and here in the United States.  More
K4Health: mHealth Toolkit March 21, 2012 |
K4Health
 The mHealth Toolkit provides knowledge management to clarify the opportunities and uncertainties of this rapidly evolving field. Selected resources are presented to suggest promising approaches for the high potential of mHealth.  More
Glossary of Terms February 6, 2012 |
mHIMSS
   More
mHealth for Development, The Opportunity of Mobile Technology for Healthcare in the Developing World January 3, 2012 |
United Nations Foundation
Vodafone
 This report examines issues at the heart of the rapidly evolving intersection of mobile phones and healthcare. It helps the reader to understand mHealth’s scope and implementation across developing regions, the health needs to which mHealth can be applied, and the mHealth applications that promise the greatest impact on heath care initiatives.  More
Johns Hopkins University Global mHealth Initiative December 8, 2011 |
Johns Hopkins University
 The Johns Hopkins Unviersity Global mHealth initiative is a universitywide community of excellence, connecting faculty, staff and students in transdisciplinary collaborations in the field of mobile health. JHU GmI serves faculty, staff and students at Johns Hopkins, as well as global public and private sector partners, in identifying appropriate mHealth strategies for global health challenges and providing expertise in technology development, health content, efficacy research and program evaluation.  More
HHS Text4Health Projects November 28, 2011 |
HHS (US Dept. of Health and Human Services)
 The rapid proliferation of mobile phones and text messaging offers unprecedented opportunities to potentially improve the health of the U.S. population and reach traditionally underserved groups. The Task Force identified innovative health text messaging programs that currently exist or are currently in development. Below are descriptions of these programs. This list is not comprehensive, but highlights key HHS activities in health text messaging and mobile health.  More
New Horizons for Health through Mobile Technologies November 17, 2011 |
World Health Organization
 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