Throughout the past 20 years, our access to information has significantly changed. The evolution of the world wide web and immediacy with which we can connect to the internet has made it possible for us to get answers to our most pressing questions without hesitation. While that is changing lives from the classroom to the workplace, it is also changing the face of some industries rather dramatically. Take healthcare, for example, a vertical that is seeing some tremendous shifts in everything from research and treatment to doctor-patient relationships.
We’ll leave the deep dive discussion into medtech for another day, as the trends and transitions occurring in this space specifically are far too numerous to address in one article. What we would like to do, however, is pinpoint a few important developments regarding how mobile technology is affecting healthcare. In doing so, let’s examine how both consumers and professionals (either as individual practitioners or a part of a company) might weigh the pros and cons of three major changes.
1. Information related to medical conditions, diagnoses and treatments is increasingly accessible in a number of formats.
Pro: According to a recent Merck Manuals survey, about 60 percent of doctors are using mobile information to explain and further illustrate information to patients, and 28 percent said they send information directly to patients. From apps and information databases to videos and images, physicians can point patients to trusted information.
Con: At the same time, patients can quickly access misinformation if not careful. Additionally, the information available online should never be used for self-diagnosis or as a replacement to traditional physician care.
2. A typical doctor visit is starting to look less and less familiar.
Pro: Smartphone apps are putting consumers just a few taps away from an in-home doctor visit. Think of it as urgent primary care on demand. For a fee, a healthcare provider will come evaluate you at home, work or other location and may even dispense medications on the spot.
Con: While the convenience level is high, there are limitations to the types of treatment physicians can perform outside a doctor’s office. Additionally, not all house calls are covered by insurance.
3. Electronic medical records are making it possible to pull up patient histories in a snap.
Pro: As an increasing number of healthcare providers store medical records electronically, medtech companies like Kansas City’s very own iShare Medical are using mobile technology to help providers and patients alike manage, access, and store medical records from multiple doctors and healthcare facilities in one place.
Con: As patient and provider data goes digital while cyber criminals become savvier, the threat of a data breach continues to rise. Companies who don’t incorporate solutions like mobile threat prevention (MTP) and enterprise mobility management (EMM) may be taking unnecessary risks unknowingly.
How is mobile technology impacting your healthcare business? Let us know what other trends you’re seeing and how you’re taking precautions to protect yourself and your patients!
