Vodafone launches third mHealth insights guide exploring adoption barriers

Vodafone Global Enterprise recently launched the third chapter in the series of mHealth insights guides as part of its global mobile healthcare initiative.

The latest insights guide continues the discussion around the varying barriers to mHealth technology adoption by focussing on two prominent issues: privacy and regulation. Whilst patients are becoming more actively involved in their own care, how can the protection of data be ensured? And as medical and telecommunication devices converge, what constitutes a medical device and how can regulation be applied?

Research shows both doctors and healthcare funders list privacy and security concerns as barriers to greater use of mHealth; whilst the US Federal Communications Commission formed a mHealth task force to explore its regulatory capacity for mHealth technologies. These, and other developments within mHealth, lead to Vodafone examining the implications in more detail in this report.

Vodafone has been active in healthcare for over a decade and set up Vodafone mHealth Solutions in 2009 as part of Vodafone Global Enterprise. Vodafone Global Enterprise provides services to Vodafone’s multinational customers, including most of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, medical technology and health insurance providers.

The range of opportunities for mobile technology within the health sector is almost limitless. However, healthcare professionals need to make efficient use of their time, and companies in the sector need to maximise their budgets and strengthen their market position – addressing the core barriers to adoption go some way to achieving this.

Roughly one-half of patients interviewed by PwC in a (2012) global survey “Emerging mHealth: Paths for Growth” predict that mHealth will improve the convenience (52%), quality (48%)and cost (46%)of their healthcare in the next three years.

To learn more about mHealth, download the Vodafone insights guide. In addition, to join the mHealth debate, visit http://mhealth.vodafone.com/linkedin – “an active LinkedIn discussion group with international perspectives on the current trends, issues and vision for the international healthcare sector.”