Mainstreaming Mobile Medical Technology
The 4th annual mHealth Summit brought together together experts from the medical technology industry. Patricia Mechael, the executive director of the mHealth Alliance, has made her focus to bring the use of mobile technologies for common health issues into mainstream healthcare strategies. [1]
“In the world, there are six billion mobile phone subscriptions in a population of seven billion people. And the most rapidly growing markets are those in developing countries. Africa, as a continent, you have widespread adoption where three or four years ago the penetration rates were 20 percent or 30 percent and now they’re getting upwards of 60 percent in some countries,” Mechael said.
The use of medical technology to bring quality care to rural areas has been rising in popularity for some time.
“Earlier work had been to look at mobile technologies and HIV and AIDS. And so we have some great evidence on the use of mobile for things like treatment adherence and compliance and care management. And increasingly, it’s being used to address everything from malaria to tuberculosis to just general strengthening of the health system,” Mechael added.
Also in attendance was Kirsten Gagnaire, global director of the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, a public/private partnership launched by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2011. Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action includes USAID, Johnson & Johnson Company, the United Nations Foundation and the mHealth Alliance.
[1] DeCapua, Joe. “Using Technology to Improve Healthcare.” Voice of America. Wed. 13 December 2012.