Healthcare on the move: Changing outcomes and lives

Patients, healthcare workers and their partners in other industries stand to bene�t from mobile health—and, in many cases, are already bene�tting.

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

HEALTHCARE ON THE MOVE:

Changing outcomes and lives

With more than 40,000 mobile health apps in use worldwide, individuals are already accessing data and services anytime, anywhere.

In Kenya, mobile apps enable clinicians to access a wealth of patient data and tackle conditions such as HIV and diabetes, serving more than one million people since 2008.

Advances in mobile allow health workers to reach underserved and remote populations.

In Arizona, USA, mobile technologies that track weight, blood pressure and heart rate help health workers treat people in rural communities, saving $90,000 per patient in reduced hospital stays.

Mobile also has clinical and research uses.• Sensors and apps can help doctors detect ailments

• Labs can send test results directly to patients’ phones.

• Combined with big data, mobile technologies could enable scientists to better understand and treat disease, giving researchers greater insight into patterns across populations.

Mobile health is evolving.79%

50%

In a New Zealand study, text reminders doubled the rate of smokers who quit.

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