Medical Apps Increasing Patient Engagement

Mobile applications provide health care professionals with the means to contact both patients and each other, even if they are away from the office. The implementation of new technology is giving doctors and researchers new opportunities to advance the medical field.

Opening communication
EHRIntelligence reported that the use of mobile apps in medicine will increase in the next three to five years. Through the use of a patient portal, patients will be able to schedule appointments, consult their doctors and access their electronic health records. The main driver behind medical apps is patient engagement, Chilmark Research author Naveen Rao told the source. People will be able to more easily communicate with health care providers and see their medical information.

Mobile technology can also aid in the diagnoses of patients across multiple medical offices. Through the use of apps, doctors can communicate and share information with one another, according to Stan Huff, M.D., Intermountain Healthcare chief medical information officer and Healthcare Services Platform Consortium board chair, in an interview with EHRIntelligence. Professionals from different offices can use their EHR software to access patients' records from other doctors, which saves both time and money.

Tracking medical records
While there are many applications for both patients and medical providers, some of the newest ones come from Apple, Inc. ResearchKit provides medical researchers with the ability to create their own apps to fit their needs, AuntMinnie.com reported.

"Some researchers see patients only once a quarter, making it difficult to get a complete picture of their health," Apple explained during a new product presentation, according to the source . "Finding volunteers for medical studies has always been tough. And low participation can make understanding a disease more difficult."

ResearchKit would allow patients to enroll in clinical trials and submit their EHRs to researchers even if they are not present at the time of testing. The source reported that volunteers for phases III and IV of clinical trials are scarce. This mobile app would solve that dilemma and provide more accurate and consistent data.

Apple's HealthKit also aids doctors by serving as a health care information system. This app provides patients and providers with access to their medical data, according to Apple's website. Through the use of both third-party and health care apps, HealthKit tracks and stores a plethora of information, from calories burned to blood pressure to test results. The technology also allows users to share data with whomever they would like, whether that is another app or a medical professional.

Through the use of mobile applications, health care providers hope to improve both patient engagement and communication.

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