Technology is constantly offering advancements within all professions, and providing easier transactions. One crucial advancement is the implementation of “Health 2.0,” which is the use of software and other mobile tools by medical professionals, patients, and any others who could use it, to promote the use of mobile health as effective communication in the field.
This idea really came into play with HIPAA, or The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA was signed in 1996 by Bill Clinton, and was a huge factor in implementing mandatory electronic records within the medical field, fueling the future of mobile health. The Act called for a national system of electronic health care transactions and the upkeep of such transactions and actions. Since that point, those involved in health care have used technology to improve the workplace. In addition, President Obama signed the HITECH Act, funding billions to the use of digital records among health care professionals, again putting mobile health in the forefront of health practices.
Now, more than ever, it is important that doctors and patients work together with secure communications and are able to successfully use the technology that is available to them to create a comfortable environment for mobile health practices to thrive. However, only 46% of American medical practitioners currently employ electronic record keeping software. Given the simplicity of technology currently and the potential for physical data to fail, this percentage is almost absurd. Additionally, often times medical practitioners risk obstruction of various records by suffering to keep up with HIPAA messaging standards. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs and systems cause for much potential error, and such programs may not always warrant secure messaging and may not contain HIPPA compliant emails or other forms of documentation. The inconsistencies with BYOD programs may also lead to misinformation, and the misplacement of information. HIPAA email and HIPAA texting are simple enough to employ in an environment as crucial as health care.
Healthcare apps can be very helpful when dealing with such inconsistencies between patients and their doctors. Medical mobile apps, given their accessibility with a number of people, patients and doctors alike, are an effective means to ensure fast, easy, and confidential interactions within the healthcare environment. Solid communication is often key when it comes to mobile health. Also, studies have shown that doctors that submitted and used electronic data for their patients were able to finish transactions much faster, which is important in a field in which timeliness is key.
As a whole, this nation has the software needed to create a successful mobile health system. It is crucial that we act upon this availability and provide fast and reliable health care. Mobile health applications are the direction towards which health care is moving, and through these applications, the needs of patients and doctors alike are easily met, and communication is swift. Secure communication should be sought after by any serious patients and serious practitioners.
