M-HEALTH By PHARMAGEEK

In 2009, the US under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allocated  $19 billion to accelerate adoption of health IT systems by doctors and hospitals in order to modernise the health care system, save billions of dollars, reduce medical errors and improve quality. US hospital spending on iIT will hit $4.7b in 2011 and grow to $6.8b by 2014

Via ET Russell

Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Vol. 7, Issue 1 Jan. 2013.

El-Gayar, Timsina and Nawar.

ABSTRACT

Background:
Advancements in smartphone technology coupled with the proliferation of data connectivity has resulted in increased interest and unprecedented growth in mobile applications for diabetes self-management. The objective of this article is to determine, in a systematic review, whether diabetes applications have been helping patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes self-manage their condition and to identify issues necessary for large-scale adoption of such interventions.
Methods:
The review covers commercial applications available on the Apple App Store (as a representative of commercially available applications) and articles published in relevant databases covering a period fromJanuary 1995 to August 2012. The review included all applications supporting any diabetes self-management task where the patient is the primary actor.
Results:
Available applications support self-management tasks such as physical exercise, insulin dosage or medication, blood glucose testing, and diet. Other support tasks considered include decision support, notification/alert, tagging of input data, and integration with social media. The review points to the potential for mobile applications to have a positive impact on diabetes self-management. Analysis indicates that application usage is associated with improved attitudes favorable to diabetes self-management. Limitations of the applications include lack of personalized feedback; usability issues, particularly the ease of data entry; and integration with patients and electronic health records.
Conclusions:
Research into the adoption and use of user-centered and sociotechnical design principles is needed to improve usability, perceived usefulness, and, ultimately, adoption of the technology. Proliferation and efficacy of interventions involving mobile applications will benefit from a holistic approach that takes into account patients’ expectations and providers’ needs.

J Diabetes Sci Technol 2013;7(1):247–262    

Via rob halkes

Today's mobile apps are helping diabetics aggregate blood sugar and nutritional data from multiple platforms and devices and logging data into central portals accessible anywhere, according to Steve Robinson, general manager of the Cloud Platform Services Division for IBM.

The apps and snap-on smartphone monitoring devices are letting physicians integrate biometric data from wearables into patient data and analyze patient data at fast speed, Robinson writes at InformationWeek. The benefits are just as extensive as the functionality being developed, he says

The gains include everything from simplifying records and improving doctor-patient conversations to gaining a holistic view of a diabetic's health. Doctors can "crunch and analyze patient data at rapid speeds to help identify patterns and predict future health and treatment needs," he writes.

"Mobile apps can help diabetes sufferers get ahead of their symptoms and live healthier, more carefree lives," Robinson says. 

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Diabetes tools have ranged from providing smartphone coaching that is helping diabetics living in low to modest socioeconomic communities manage their disease and improving their health, to a wearable, automated bionic pancreas for continuous glucose monitor and a software algorithm, according to a study at the New England Journal of Medicine.

In addition, mobile monitoring of diabetic employees can save more than $3,000 a year in healthcare costs, half of the average annual medical insurance cost for workers diagnosed with diabetes. 

Today's tools and cloud-based capabilities are reducing those costs while also driving innovation for disease management, Robinson says.

"Using cloud services, combined with the ease and convenience of mobile, new methods of managing this disease are being brought to patients around the world," he writes.

For more information:
- read the article

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Smartphone coaching can boost diabetic management, help reduce disease risks
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Smartphones may be the next-gen blood test laboratory
Montefiore explores texting for diabetic teens, pre-op care

Via Celine Sportisse, DIRECT MEDICA by Webhelp, dbtmobile, Giuseppe Fattori, eMedToday

The market for wearable sensors is increasing dramatically. Devices are being designed to help people manage chronic conditions, recover more quickly from injuries, analyze physical and environmental abnormalities that may lead to more serious health issues and detect unhealthy habits before they cause problems, according to Pathfinder Software. A new infographic from Pathfinder Software takes a look at the types of wearables available, how they are used, their wireless capability and other details on this technology. Thank you to Pathfinder Software for an educational Infographic. Also, thank you to the Healthcare Intelligence Network for having this Infographic on their site.

Via ET Russell