Mobile Health Survey Confirms mHealth Is Growing

Two-thirds of health IT executives in a recent survey said they believe that mobile health will dramatically impact the delivery of healthcare in the future. 

The results of the 2nd Annual HIMSS Mobile Technology Survey were announced by the not-for-profit Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in December 2012 at the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C.

The conclusions are hardly surprising, but they do offer further confirmation of the growing adoption of mobile health technology.

The survey noted the percentage of medical personnel using mobile apps in direct patient care has grown in the past year in several key areas, including:

• Collection of data at the bedside (45 percent compared to 30 percent)
• Use of bar code reader on mobile devices (38 percent compared to 23 percent)
• Monitoring data from medical devices (34 percent compared to 27 percent)
• Capture visual representation of patient data (27 percent compared to 13 percent)

More than one-third of respondents (36 percent) reported allowing patients/consumers the ability to access information using a mobile device—up from 32 percent one year ago. However, there is a reluctance to provide apps to consumers; only 13 percent of respondents indicated that their organizations had developed an app for patient/consumer use.

The survey indicates barriers to mHealth adoption remain, including funding and hesitation about the security of patient data. Despite concerns, use of mobile devices will expand in the future, according to the survey results. Three-quarters of IT professionals noted they will expand the use of these devices in the future, with the greatest growth projected for the use of tablet computers.

Other interesting findings:

• Two-thirds reported their organizations have a mobile technology plan in place, up from the 38 percent of respondents in 2011. More than one-quarter of respondents (27 percent) are currently implementing a mobile technology plan.
• Use of apps by clinicians is widespread at organizations; approximately half of survey respondents reported they will increase their use of apps in the next twelve months.
• Half of the survey respondents (52 percent) hold the title of Director of IT and 30 percent are Chief Information Officers.