Introduction
M-health refers to the medical and public fitness progression that is backed by mobile devices, for instance, smartphones, patient monitoring gadgets, personal digital support, and other wireless tools. With more than four billion mobile phone users across the globe, the application of the devices as a means of health improvement is certainly a stride toward the realization of international well-being. M-health is being employed to monitor a wide scope of conditions that encompass insomnia, coronary diseases, autism, asthma, and diabetes to mention a few. From fitness monitors and patient portals over and above cellular phones and home monitoring devices, m-health imbues the daily lives of patients (Kaplan, Cohen, & Zimlichman, 2017).
M-health may be employed for remote monitoring of patients and telemedicine that facilitate access to quality care in an approach convenient to all. It also unlocks doors to the provision of care to people who might have otherwise been hard to reach. M-health enables patients in rural places to connect with doctors easily instead of having to travel long distances.
Advantages and Disadvantages
One advantage of m-health lies in the ubiquity of cellular phones around the world, which offers the chance to facilitate medical outcomes through the provision of inventive medical services with information and communication expertise to the furthest corners of the globe. This promotes medication adherence and aggregation of patient data. Other advantages of m-health encompass low cost, ease of accessibility, and provision of patient anonymity. However, this technology is not without drawbacks. Some of the disadvantages of m-health encompass the possibility of poor quality treatment, lack of patient privacy, and low confidentiality (Steinhubl, Muse, & Topol, 2015).
M-health has been discredited for taking huge responsibility away from medical professionals and offering care through cyberspace. This has resulted in more harm than good with most patients becoming excessively reliant on m-health apps that have neither been examined nor endorsed by the relevant regulatory authorities. This is problematic because the apps may offer the wrong diagnosis or fail to provide the required help hence hampering proper treatment and possibly endangering lives.
Why M-Health Is a Good Business Decision
M-health is a suitable business decision since the application of the Internet, smartphones, and social networking platforms are swiftly growing across the globe. This makes it possible for the technology to reach a huge number of patients internationally (Ramirez et al., 2016). M-health may be employed in numerous scenarios such as hospitals and physicians employing mobile-based reminder systems to facilitate medication adherence and overall medical outcomes.
It has great potential in the improvement of overall wellness with patients, health facilities, and physicians around the world progressively embracing it. It is a good business decision as it is leading to reduced paper-based communication and documentation while instead promoting internet-based solutions. This does not just reduce office and hospital costs but also decreases wastage, results in less clutter, and ensures safety and easy retrieval of patient data.
How M-Health Facilitates Effective Communication
M-health apps have the ability to gather patient and overall medical data and keep it in a single database hence enabling health professionals to interact and receive the most recent developments in a given sector. Communication between physicians and patients through mobile health expertise ensures the convenience of time and eliminates challenges of geographical distance (Sadiku, Shadare, & Musa, 2017). This improves the quality of medical care and reduces costs incurred by patients.
M-health allows patients to instantly update their health records and creates effective communication among all the stakeholders. This has led to the successful monitoring of patients and permits rapid intervention during emergencies. Personal health checking devices are connected to m-health apps to offer timely feedback to patients while also sending essential alerts to doctors. Health facilities may also employ wireless systems to streamline communication among medical professionals, boost productivity, and guarantee quality patient care.
Conclusion
M-health is vital for enhanced patient care across the globe. Physicians and health centers should increasingly employ this technology. Through effective communication and fast access to health trends, caregivers can become abreast of state-of-the-art technology and advanced practices. This makes them well-versed as they proceed with the treatment of different patients’ conditions.
References
Kaplan, A. L., Cohen, E. R., & Zimlichman, E. (2017). Improving patient engagement in self-measured blood pressure monitoring using a mobile health technology. Health Information Science and Systems, 5(4), 1-9. Web.
Ramirez, V., Johnson, E., Gonzalez, C., Ramirez, V., Rubino, B., & Rossetti, G. (2016). Assessing the use of mobile health technology by patients: An observational study in primary care clinics. JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth, 4(2), 41-47. Web.
Sadiku, M. N., Shadare, A. E., & Musa, S. M. (2017). Mobile health. International Journal of Engineering Research, 6(10), 450-452. Web.
Steinhubl, S. R., Muse, E. D., & Topol, E. J. (2015). The emerging field of mobile health. Science Translational Medicine, 7(283), 1-10. Web.