At the end of 2009 there were 4.6 billion mobile phone users around the globe. By the end of 2010 this number is expected to reach 5 billion. And in 2014 Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley predicts there will be 2,776 MM 3G global users, this means 43% of the population!
In North America 260,575,000 people are expected to have smart phones! This means 74% of the population will be busy browsing the web and text messaging away on their phones constantly!
Why is this new behavior catching the attention of health industry leaders and government officials? Because the more people have access to smart phones, the more popular mHealth will be; which leads to more money and lives saved.
mHealth or mobile health is any medical and public health practice supported by a mobile device like a smart phone, PDA, or a patient-monitoring device. Because smart phones are one of the most popular mHealth devices, health care applications are increasing everyday. The iPhone has more than a hundred health applications, and the BlackBerry and Droid are not far behind.
The convenience of smart phones is the quality that plays such a crucial role in expanding mhealth. People can access their health information anywhere at anytime.
You can send and store health care information, research, and monitor your biometrics wherever you are. You don’t have to carry an extra device either, it’s all on your phone.
As the popularity of mHealth increases with smart phones, health industry leaders will recognize the demand to expand mHealth even more. Michael O’Hara, CMO of GSMA (the global mobile industry trade association) reports $175 - $200 billion is saved internationally due to mHealth solutions that effectively managing chronic diseases.
In the United States, mHealth could save up to $21 billion. If these numbers aren’t impressive enough for our leaders to invest more attention onto mHealth solutions, what is?
Tags: eHealth, mHealth, mobile Health, mobile health news
[...] Full text: http://rememberitnow.com/blog/2010/03/08/smart-phones-lead-the-way-in-mhealth/ [...]
Pingback by Smart Phones in mHealth « mHealth News Summary — March 10, 2010 @ 4:47 pm
Very nice post on the growth of smartphone usage and its effect on mHealth adoption. As mobile phone users continue to purchase more unlimited text and data plans, the expansion of mHealth technology to consumers is almost guaranteed to continue. At my company, Globaltel Media, we’ve seen our healthcare customers begin to develop some very useful and interesting SMS-based communications systems. From replacing expensive pager systems to appointment reminders and mobile diagnostics via texting, SMS messaging provides an ideal path of communication for both healthcare workers and patients. It is important to remember that although smartphones are certainly becoming more popular and affordable, the vast majority of the population still uses basic mobile technology. To efficiently access the greatest number of users, SMS messaging is hands down the way to go. Thanks for your article!
Comment by Robert Sanchez — March 19, 2010 @ 2:35 pm