By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    grief
    Coping With Depression from Loss After a Preventable Accident
    November 14, 2024
    medical research
    The Key to Medical Progress in Clinical Trials
    March 13, 2025
    HIPPA compliance
    How Medical Office Staff Can Make Your Practice HIPAA Compliant
    October 29, 2021
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Image
    Emergency Room – Don’t Use It For Primary Care!
    March 19, 2013
    Encouraging Medicare News From Senate Republicans
    March 17, 2012
    chronic disease
    Lifestyles Cause Most Serious Disease and Deaths
    May 25, 2013
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Is mHealth Ready for Prime Time?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > Is mHealth Ready for Prime Time?
Mobile Health

Is mHealth Ready for Prime Time?

rdowney14
rdowney14
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Like everyone else, I believe that we will eventually see smartphones playing significant roles in healthcare, but there are some hurdles that we need to clear.

Like everyone else, I believe that we will eventually see smartphones playing significant roles in healthcare, but there are some hurdles that we need to clear.

Scott Mace does a good job of summing them up in his article, “mHealth Trials Are Happening, Without the Clinic,” on Health Leaders Media.  He wrote the article during the HIMSS’ mHealth Summit in Washington.  Like he says, it’s easy to be dazzled by all the health apps that vendors are now offering.  Medicine, as an industry, has always exercised caution before giving its blessings to drugs and treatments, and similar caution is in order before the widespread use of medical apps.

Mace says the elephant in the room that no one is talking about is government regulation because many of the apps provide disease diagnosis and treatment without a doctor’s involvement.  So the question is (or perhaps should be) Does an app that diagnoses a medical problem practice medicine without a license?  Hmmm.  As Mace suggests, we probably won’t know until an app maker gets sued after someone suffers serious bodily harm or dies.

More Read

Epion Health Introduces A Tablet To Increase Health Literacy
#SXSW 2013: Top 10 Healthcare Takeaways
Assessing Depression Via App, Part I
The Elusive Power of mHealth
Perpetuating the Steve Jobs Legacy

Speaking of regulation, California Representative Mike Honda has introduced a bill in Congress that would create an FDA Office of Wireless Health Technology.  Rather than be concerned about the use of medical apps, Honda fears that FDA oversight could stifle innovation.  He thinks an office focused on mobile medical technologies would bring these apps and smartphone devices to market more quickly.  According to Mina Kim, whose article, “Bill Would Help FDA Assess Mobile Health Technology” on the KQED Web site, the proposed bill would also establish a program to help mobile app developers build their devices in line with federal privacy regulations.  I hazard to say that creating this bureaucratic office will exceed the congressman’s estimate that operating costs would be a million dollars a year.  No government office ever comes in UNDER projections.  And, does the government need to be in the software business?

Meanwhile, Mace says the medical app industry doesn’t have much time left to show that it can police itself, or the government, perhaps this proposed FDA office, will impose even more requirements.  What if given new regulations, consumers who are technology geeks decide to take matters into their own hands?  People have been known to modify their smartphones – in fact, that’s how a lot of these iPhone devices and apps came about in the first place.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

There’s an App for That: Using Mobile Technology to Improve Healthcare and Lower Costs

August 21, 2012
Image
Medical InnovationsMobile HealthNews

Wireless Big Data in the Cloud

May 3, 2012

Smartphone-Based Ultrasound Maker Mobisante Raises $4.2M to Grow Sales

June 11, 2013
healthcare mobile app
eHealthMedical InnovationsMobile HealthWellness

Would You Use Your Smartphone as a Therapy Tool?

July 8, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?