The Journal of mHealth Vol 1 Issue 1 (Feb 2014) | Page 32

EPHA Briefing on Mobile Health

Health Professionals

gets at the bedside can help illustrate conditions and reassure patients that they are being looked
after by competent staff. Health
professionals are also able to instantly record and share vital information during consultations (e.g.
diagrams, instructions).

For health professionals, mHealth
can also bring multiple benefits.
In a climate of workforce shortages and scarce support, they can
be empowered by accessing accurate information and evidence anywhere and anytime, while communication with colleagues becomes

It has been shown that monitoring and diagnostic ‘apps’ are more
reliable if they involve transmission of information to qualified
health professionals who analyse
the information remotely. Given
the range of tasks smartphones
can perform – from recording to

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ing (compared to an average of
55%). Meanwhile, proactive care
results in a 10 percent reduction in
primary and urgent care visits. [13]

Thanks to mHealth, a larger
percentage of the population can be
served, including vulnerable individuals
who may be more comfortable using
mobile devices as they allow them to
explore and ‘practise’ mHealth step-bystep, in their own time, and in informal
settings.
easier to better coordinate care.
In addition, it allows for closer,
more direct contact with patients.
By being ‘virtually available’, health
professionals can demonstrate
their commitment, ask direct questions and provide targeted advice
in an unobtrusive way, which may
help them better understand patients’ concerns. Communication
with patients living in geographically isolated or underserved areas
also becomes easier, and condition- or community-specific health
information can be sent directly to
particular categories of patients.
The use of tablets and health gad-

30
February 2014

planning and reporting on data –
their use will likely become more
common as bodily functions are
monitored automatically. Another
interesting use of apps supports,
for instance, the identification of
medicines and of counterfeit products by pharmacists.
Nevertheless, mHealth will not
work if it creates new professional
burdens. For example, overloading
health professionals with additional data input/processing and electronic communication tasks compromises rather than boosts quality
of care. That is why these devices
must be designed according to end

users’ needs. Continuous professional training in eHealth will also
help build up confidence in using
new technology.
Vulnerable Groups
The rapid expansion of smartphones is bringing the digital world
closer to those who were hitherto
excluded from ICT. This is because they are portable, compact,
multifunctional (including camera,
texting, diary / logs, GPS, maps,
entertainment, e-mail, etc.), and
with easy user interfaces (e.g. touch
screens). ‘Apps’ provide relevant
information in a more condensed,
practical, and intelligible fashion
than traditional Internet content.
Mobile content also tends to be
more adapted to quick reading and
sharing.
More importantly, smartphones
are relatively affordable compared
to other mobile technologies such
as laptop computers or tablets although the cost of phones and related charges is still high enough to
make them off-limits to the poor in
many parts of Europe.
While the ubiquity, speed of change
and complexity of new technology can be overwhelming, older
people may benefit from mHealth
solutions that are easy-to-use and
that assist them in