Mobile health technology is revolutionary, not only because of the technological advancements and tools it provides, but because for the first time, physicians and patients alike have the ability to shed light on what were previously "dark spaces."
"The most interesting thing about mHealth is its ability to eliminate the dark space that exists between physicians in communication during critical points of care," Al Naqvi, CIO, system CFO and executive vice president of Decatur-based Illinois Health and Science, said in a panel discussion at Becker's Hospital Review's CIO/HIT + Revenue Cycle Summit in Chicago.
mHealth creates new efficiencies by providing a platform through which physicians can communicate with one another, as well as with patients both during episodes of care and after discharge. According to Mr. Naqvi, this will fundamentally change the way healthcare businesses operate.
For example, according to Mr. Naqvi, one of the highest contributors to patient dissatisfaction is a patient's last day in the hospital when he or she is waiting to be discharged. Anxious and probably nervous about going home, patients are often left waiting for hours for a physician to give them an exit exam. When the physician finally arrives, often at the end of the day when the patient is tired, the visit usually just lasts a few minutes.
New digital tools that connect patients to physicians and other clinical staff can expedite the discharge process through more coordinated communication. Some tools also let physicians authorize discharges remotely and patients submit questions or concerns.
Another panelist, Max Green, a writer/reporter with Becker's Hospital Review, said mHealth technology has enabled patients and their families to gain a better understanding and insight into their own health. Easy-to-use apps and tools motivate patients to track their health more closely and report results more accurately to their clinicians.
Savvy mHealth users are also interested in using email and social media platforms like Facebook to manage their health and communicate with physicians, Mr. Green pointed out, citing a recent survey conducted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
"Patients are becoming more willing to bridge that communication gap," said Mr. Green. "In the past, they did feel left in the dark, but if given these tools and opportunities, patients are more willing to participate, and this leads to better outcomes."
However, patients' increased ability to contact their clinical care team is problematic for some physicians. David Chou, CIO of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, said some are worried about being too accessible.
"There is some resistance in certain areas," said Mr. Chou. "If you're working in an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setting, you may not like that. There's a group that doesn't like to be accessible at all times, but there is a group that does."
Despite some physicians' dissatisfaction with around-the-clock patient communication, according to Mr. Chou, many healthcare professionals and organizations are embracing the approach and philosophy of practicing medicine anywhere and anytime. In general, at a minimum, most physicians want to have EMRs accessible on mobile devices — either their personal or hospital-issued smartphones or tablets — so they can have constant access to patient data.
Advancements in mHealth will only continue, affording patients new tools to manage their own health and providing physicians and other providers the tools to access patient data and communicate with one another from any device.
"Healthcare in 2015 is what 1996 was for the Internet," said Mr. Naqvi. "We are getting to the point where things are starting to happen very quickly. All of the new innovations and business models that the Internet was able to give us — eBay, Amazon, Netflix — these wouldn't have been possible if the technology was not there. The same is true for mHealth technology."