Hi, and welcome to our new blog, mHealth Update. In the coming weeks and months we’ll be bringing together all the big news in mobile health. The potential for remote health monitoring and diagnosis is huge, as so many people will be relying on remote mHealth technology in the not so distant future. Whether it’s providing emergency contact with elderly or infirm, or constant monitoring of patients who need it, but want to remain in their own home, mHealth will be in all our lives in the future.
So what is mHealth? 
mHealth covers a wide range of products and services. Remote health monitoring is perhaps one of the most interesting applications of mobile technology to the healthcare arena. Companies such as Alive Technologies develop a raft of different devices for just this purpose including: a pulse oximeter, a diabetes management system, a heart monitor and ECG (Electrocardiography) software. Their Alive Heart Monitor is designed as a remote system to screen, monitor and manage chronic diseases. This allows the user a degree of freedom not afforded to them by regular check ups as well as the security of constant observation. Interestingly, this technology can also be used for consumer health and fitness. Fitness monitors are another side of remote health monitoring and a potentially huge market for those commiting to it. For instance, Nike and Apple currently offer a Nike + iPod Sport Kit which wirelessly connects an accelermometer in your shoe to your iPod or iPhone logging your distance travelled, average speed and calories burned.
mHealth isn’t just the gadgetry of remote heart monitors or the glamour of a Nike branded pedometer. In the developing world mHealth is a very different proposition. For instance, in Africa where mobile phones are increasingly common and fixed line infrastructure is typically lacking, mobile technology offers a significant boost to healthcare provision. The mHealth Alliance itself, formed by the UN, Rockefeller Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation was created primarily to maximise the effect and use of mobile health in developing nations. Companies such as DataDyne, with their EpiSurveyor product, allow mobile phones to be used in the collection of public health data whilst the Text to Change initaitive in Uganda and the Project Masiluleke in South Africa have used SMS to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS and halt its spread accross the continent.
The number of different applications of mobile technology an healthcare highlihts what potential this industry has. Furthermore this is not restricted to niche companies and start-ups. The fact big players such as Qualcomm and Vodafone are getting behind mHealth is very telling. mHealth will be important not just for the provision of healthcare, but also the mobile industry.
As well as sharing the latest mHealth news we will offer insight and opinion on the latest technologies and developments as they happen. If you happen to work with mHealth technologies or just have an interest in the subject we would love to hear from you. We’re interested in all news related to mobile health so that we can share it with the world.
That’s the introduction out of the way, now it’s time to start bringing you the news.