Event Summary: Prepared for AAPS by the Market Institute.
The Brookings Institution recently hosted an event to discuss the increasing use of mobile phones and tablets in transforming healthcare delivery. Applications, sensors, and remote monitoring devices are changing how physicians interact with patients. The event will cover how those changes are being implemented in day to day care and how the government is helping facilitate that change.
The Moderator of the event, Darrell West, VP and Director at Governance Studies and Founding Director, Center for Technology Innovation said in his opening statement there has been an explosion in mobile medical technology at the consumer level, but there are instruments being developed at the healthcare level that gauge heart rate, electrical signals from the brain, and sounds coming from arteries. Remote applications are able to catch early warning signs of health problems so that the delivery of care can be improved.
The first panelist, Erik Auguston, Program Director at Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute said in his opening statement that the delivery of intervention via eHealth is the principal focus of his program. There are 4 major challenges facing the intersection of technology and healthcare: health literacy, reaching target populations, sustainability of behavior change, and evaluation.
The second panelist, Iltifat Husain, Editor and Founder at iMedicalapps.com said in his openng statement some of the more popular appliations are blood pressure monitors that connect to your mobile phone, smart pill bottles that determine how many piils have been taken and/or left and will also remind patients to take medication via text message, and a device that passively measures vital signs. There are drawbacks to the continued monitoring of data. There have been studies that have shown more monitoring have lead to worse outcomes for patients. Society will have to eventually ask itself if it is willing to fundamentally change the doctor/patient relationship through increased virtual interaction.
The third panelist, Asif Khan, CEO at Caremerge said in his opening statement his mobile solutions are used by providers for the elderly. In being able to better care for elderly, there should be a concerted effort to target the loved ones of the patient, who will be more likely concerned about their health. Using technology to coordinate with them could result in better outcomes.
In response to questioning, Erik Auguston said:
- On the government level, the Veterans Administration has been using telehealth the longest
- Determining a viable intersection of shared decision making and healthcare technology will be important
In response to questioning, Iltifat Husain said:
- The FDA does provide a so-called “sheriff” for rogue applications; they also don’t overregulate applications
- Reimbursement is the biggest roadblock for physicians to interact with patients using technology
- The United Kingdom is making a big push to implement telehealth to improve patients outcomes
- Physicians need to start optimizing tools and technology. The example was a doctor prescribing an application instead of medication for someone that is prone to high blood pressure
In response to questioning, Asif Khan said:
- Innovation can help coach patients to take their medication and on the symptoms of a relapse. Transitional care centers are starting to fill this need
- Making data relevant and getting it to the right person is the most important aspect of collecting health data through technology
