Dr. Experton cites a 2014 Pew Research Institute poll that reported 64 percent of American adults now own a smartphone, and 62 percent of that group have used their devices to research health conditions within the last year.
“Given the ubiquity of smartphones and their growing adoption among seniors, as well as their high rates of use among low-income populations, t is clear that these devices are transformational tools that can be used by Americans to manage their health and be engaged in their care whenever and wherever they may be,” Dr. Experton writes.
Mobile devices empower American users to by-pass whatever information-sharing hang-ups — technical, business-related or otherwise — may exist between health systems. More and more patients are tracking and sharing personal health information related to lifestyle, prescribed treatments and specific health condition monitoring. In some instances, users are even aggregating the data they track with their existing health records, Dr. Experton writes.
“In fact, many of the barriers experienced in system-to-system exchange (i.e., business barriers, privacy and security issues) are not present with ‘consumer-mediated exchange.’ Patients have a legal right to access their own data so there is no need to worry about HIPAA privacy requirements when sending a patient his/her own record,” she writes.
The ubiquity of this technology and the demonstrated willingness to use it to share data renders the system-to-system HIT and interoperability-focused dialogue somewhat obsolete, Dr. Experton writes.
“Patient-supported exchange through mobile applications is a near-term solution that is immediately available to facilitate greater health information exchange,” she writes. “Truly value-based care cannot be achieved without greater rates of patient engagement.”
More articles on health IT:
Tech companies spend 1% to 5% of revenue on security
50k records stolen from pharmaceutical company Akron offered to highest bidder
HIT capability, clinician priority hinder EHR usage: 7 key findings
