Look to the Future: Physicians Recommend Mobile Apps

Apps for Health Management

Early-adopting physicians recommend mobile apps to enhance patient compliance and outcomes

There is evidence that adults in the US are using cell phones and smartphones to manage their health, and use is growing at a moderate pace. A recent blog post shared results from the Mobile Health 2012 survey, which was published by The Pew Internet and American Life Project. The findings from this survey offer significant insights into how US consumers use their cell phones and smartphones to access health information and health apps. Two key findings that jumped out to me are…

* 31% of cell phone users use their phone to search for health information (in 2010 it was only 17%)

* 19% of smartphone owners have at least one health app on their phone. Exercise, diet, and weight apps are the most popular

As the healthcare industry shifts to outcomes-based payment models, healthcare providers and payers will look for effective and economical ways to help patients better manage their health. Increasing patient adherence to treatment is a primary area that healthcare providers and payers are interested in impacting.

Recently, a post titled “When the Rx is an App” was published on the American Medical News blog (which is published by the American Medical Association). This post focuses on forward-thinking physicians recommending apps to help patients manage their condition, track medication adherence, and monitor their symptoms and vital signs. There are no definitive numbers on how many physicians recommend apps to their patients, but no doubt there is opportunity for apps as a part of a comprehensive patient adherence program. App-based health management tools are convenient and the learning curve for many patients is minimal. Patients carry their smartphones with them and are in the habit of using their smartphones to access e-mail, apps, and search for information.

As the life science industry continues to focus on patient outcomes, with an emphasis on adherence and compliance, there are opportunities for life science companies to provide significant value to patients, healthcare providers, and payers. App-based health management tools are just one component of a potential solution. Effective solutions will include various components so patients can select the tools they are most comfortable with including mobile health sites, telehealth devices, educational websites, and nurse educator programs that provide 24/7 assistance to answer patient questions.

Currently, there are apps that collect patient information such as heart rate, weight, calories burned, calories consumed, etc. that can be shared with healthcare providers during office visits. In the future, technologies such as telehealth devices and apps will summarize collected patient information, send it to healthcare providers, and upload the information directly into electronic health records. With these advances healthcare providers receive accurate patient-specific information that can be used to guide treatment discussions and decisions.

At Tunstall AMAC we are focused on helping build and maintain relationships with patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to drive awareness and knowledge, support patient adherence, and empower patients to take charge of their health. We offer a wide-variety of personal emergency response and telehealth devices that can be used in the home-setting, and we provide 24/7 monitoring and click-to-chat support services to provide support, information, and educational materials to patients, providers, and payers.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the use of apps to manage an individual’s health. Do you use healthcare-related apps? Is your company providing these services now? Is your company likely to provide them in the future? Please share your questions and comments, and let’s all learn from each other.