The following is a guest post. and does not represent services or advice from Mobile Health.
Medical innovation in the US is highly renowned, but it comes at a price. On average, Americans pay the most for healthcare when compared to the rest of the world. Fortunately, consumer-based technology like smartphones and tablets are finding some creative applications in the medical field, which could lower costs and increased health awareness for patients.
2012 surveys report smartphone ownership in America to be at around 50% of the total population; with this level of access to the most powerful mini computers the world has seen, the medical field is beginning to take advantage of their technology and efficiency. Below are a few mobile apps and devices that operate on or with smartphones, as well as cost comparisons with more standard methods of medical practice.
1. ViSi Mobile
Designed by Sotera Wireless in San Diego, California, the ViSi Mobile system attaches to a patient’s body and gathers data on blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and other vitals. It transmits this information wirelessly to a doctor’s smartphone or tablet, meaning a patient wearing the ViSi Mobile can be monitored remotely. A 2012 price report on medical and hospital fees shows that one overnight stay in a US hospital averages at $3,949; the runner up is Chile at $1,552.
With the ViSi, a patient can decrease their length of stay in the hospital and drastically reduce their medical bill. In addition, the ViSi reads vital signs constantly, as opposed to the practice of collecting the same information only every few hours in a hospital. So, instead of taking up space in an intensive care unit with nothing to think about but the cost of being there, a patient can go home and receive more accurate care and more direct access to a doctor, despite the lack of proximity.
2. Heart Health Mobile
This app, compatible with iPhones and iPads, aims to educate the user about their unique risk of cardiovascular disease based on age, sex, weight, habits, and geographic location. The app can assess your heart risk based on this information, but providing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels will increase specificity. Luckily, the app also functions as a geographical search for nearby blood pressure and cholesterol screening locations. Once it establishes your heart risk, the app provides recommendations for improvement, such as how many hours of exercise to add to your routine.
Although it’s not intended to completely replace a visit with a professional doctor, Heart Health Mobile is an easy to use, free application that can positively impact your self-awareness and daily habits. After all, the very thought of paying almost $100 for a single office visit could be enough to give you a heart attack.
3. Lift Pulse
Parkinson’s disease is usually quite apparent, but the early stages of this disorder can be difficult to detect and typically multiple tests are needed before a diagnosis. Lift Pulse is one of several Parkinson’s focused developments aimed to utilize the ultra-sensitive technology built into smartphones for tremor measurement and monitoring.
Lift Pulse, a free iPhone & Android app, starts by measuring a baseline tremor, then compares every measurement afterwards to this baseline, allowing users to keep a close eye on their symptoms. By simply holding your smartphone for 10 seconds, Lift Pulse is able to analyze tremor amplitude without the need of a nurse or additional piece of equipment. Early stage Parkinson’s is also detectable in the voice, so for those who are pre-diagnosis, developers are finding success in speech assessment tests performed via smartphones. This means that in the near future, you might not even have to visit a doctor to find out if you have Parkinson’s, which might cut back on medical fees.
Smartphone technology appears to be making a significant impact on the high cost of healthcare in America. By taking advantage of the super powered devices most of us carry in our pockets, doctors and patients can look forward to super powered medical care as well.
Sandra Mills is a freelance writer and self-proclaimed gadget geek. She enjoys covering topics in the fields of medical technology as well as healthcare, and has most recently been focused on medical assisting and other healthcare training programs.
