M-Health (m-Health)

For what m-Health is necessary

Projects of m-Health solve a number of problems, including:

• expansion of access to medical care and information on health issues;
• increases in a possibility of diagnostics, monitoring and timely tracking of diseases;
• granting public health care to useful information of a system;
• expansions of access to medical education and professional training of workers of health care, etc.

Technologies of m-Health

Providing services in the field of health care via mobile phones and smartphones - one of current trends in world health care. Within m-Health types of services with different technologies on complexity are implemented:

• Projects with use of the SMS of mailings for the purpose of informing which initiators can be the state, public organizations, the pharmaceutical companies and so forth;
• Mobile telemedicine;
• The downloaded applications in online stores which are used by users in the different purposes (fitness, informing);
• Difficult applications / platforms for mobile phones, with the integrated opportunities / or the corresponding devices for removal of vital indicators – the sugar level, pressure, etc.

M-Health is effectively used in treatment and warning of infectious and noninfectious diseases, care of elderly people, informing expectant mothers, fight against child and maternal mortality.

Fast-growing segment of the m-Health market are mobile applications for smartphones in the field of health. It is possible to select 4 main categories of mobile applications:

• general health and fitness (fitness and power supply, etc.);
• medical information (reference books, informing, diagnostics, education);
• remote consultations and monitoring,
• management of health (electronic cards of patients, logical and payment support).

The market of m-Health in the world

As of 2013 the market of m-Health is at a formation stage. It consists of several segments, for example, of mobile medical applications, the mobile medical or compatible equipment, services, etc.

Purpose of projects and paramount solvable tasks differ depending on the countries. In the developed countries of service and services are directed, first of all, to quality improvement of life, level of medical service, in developing - to the solution of current problems of health care, such as fight against AIDS, availability of medical services.

On the middle of 2013 of the USA are the market of m-Health which is the most developed on number of projects – 175 projects that is equivalent to 18% of total number. In Great Britain the largest number of projects among countries of Western Europe is implemented. On the second place on number of projects of m-Health in Western Europe – Spain – 11 projects, on the third – Sweden – 8 projects. The majority of the started projects of mobile health care in Europe is devoted to monitoring of patients with chronic diseases and to the elderly, separately living people. Among other developed countries with rather high number of projects of m-Health it is possible to select Canada, South Korea and Australia. Data on 15 countries are provided in the table.

The key m-Health directions of applications in developing countries are:

• education and education,
• remote collection of data on diseases and patients,
• remote monitoring,
• communications and trainings for health workers,
• tracking of outbreaks of diseases and epidemics,
• support of diagnostics and treatment.

Besides, the most current problems which are solved by technologies of m-Health in developing countries are: health of mother and child and infectious diseases. South Africa takes the second place in the world on number of projects. India along with Uganda are in the third place.

The market of m-Health in Russia

In Russia the state program of development and upgrade of health care within which special attention is paid to issues of informatization of this industry is adopted. The plan of informatization of health care is synchronized with the general program of development of health care till 2020.

Within the program the following services are implemented and planned

• Electronic making an appointment with the doctor through a single system of record on the portal of state services
• Electronic medical record
• Electronic recipe
• Register of hi-tech medical care in electronic form
• Digital medical library
• Telemedicine consultations, systems of a video conferencing
• Remote monitoring and screening of patients with chronic diseases
• Service personal account of the patient

According to J’son & Partners Consulting, for July, 2013 in Russia 16 projects, products or services in the field of m-Health are submitted. Paid and free applications in app stores are available to users of mobile phones and smartphones.

All operators of the big three in 2010-2012 began to provide services and/or to conclude partnership in the field of m-Health.

In Russia among the main obstacles of market development of m-Health select:

• low level of informatization of the Russian medical institutions,
• weak ownership of IT culture among medical staff,
• conservatism of doctors and patients.

Nevertheless, according to the forecast of market participants the direction of m-Health will intensively develop, doctors, patients especially in the large cities will aim at rendering and receiving medical services using mobile solutions.

The most significant drivers of the market of m-Health are rapid growth of penetration of smartphones, demand for services of m-Health from patients/users, implementation of the patsiyento-focused models in the field of rendering medical services, technology innovations and easy access to mobile solutions. Also significant factors are increase in target groups, reduction in cost of solutions of m-Health, increase in number of partnership between the companies, involvement in m-Health of new innovation players, need of cost reduction.

The consumer unavailability is a restraining factor of market development of m-Health. Patients and doctors do not suspect about solutions of m-Health or cannot find them. On the other hand, cost is the most important barrier of m-Health and often patients are not ready to pay for high-tech solutions.

The information security is also a certain barrier as includes a broad spectrum of questions on confidentiality of data and protection of data security.

The target audience of m-Health - elderly people, people with chronic diseases – has low interest of penetration of smartphones that is an additional restraining factor for market development of m-Health.

The novelty of the market of m-Health requires the solution of a number of tasks:

• working off of a system of interaction between participants of process,
• choice of the most successful business models,
• formation of partnership,
• development of uniform regulation and standards.

Шаблон:Subject Medicine