Mobile Devices in Clinical Settings

Introduction

A critical factor for the delivery of services in the healthcare sector is communication, which links the doctor to the patient. In recent years, mobile devices have been a boom for coordination among healthcare professionals and patients.¹

WHO’s definition of mHealth⁴

mHealth is defined as medicine and public health practices that are backed by mobile devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, wireless devices and patient monitoring devices.

Benefits of Mobile Devices in the Healthcare Sector

Evolution of Devices Using Healthcare Apps^1,5

Need for Mobile Devices in Patient Care^1,4

In an ideal setting, HCPs require access to mobile devices for several reasons. In this section, some of the reasons will be outlined.

mHeath Benefits in Healthcare Sector^1,4

Utilisation of mobile technologies for compliance, data collection, disease prevention and immunisation programs
Mobile devices can collect information, use AI to recommend treatments and update EMR to improve care

Education of community workers through telemedicine
Disease surveillance

Usage of apps like the Aarogya Setu to track, trace and assess details of all the people, especially COVID-19 patients
Use of telemedicine to provide better healthcare in case of quick response
Data collection for research and real-time management of patients by governing bodies

mHealth/Mobile Medical Apps

The FDA defines mHealth/mobile medical apps as either applications used on medical devices or incorporated into medical devices that convert a mobile platform into a regulated medical device and have device software features that meet the requirements of section 201(h) of the FD&C Act.⁶

List of Mobile Apps in Healthcare^4,7

^{Some of the digital health apps utilised by patients and HCPs are enlisted here.}

Professional healthcare apps	Provide patient demographic details. Eg: data.ai, Shaip, Teamscope, Open Data Kit, REDcap
Clinical communication apps	Communication and decision making in hospitals. Eg: Message Genius, AirStrip OB (cardiology), Airstrip, Spok
Patient monitoring apps	Monitoring of patients’ hypertension and diabetes using web-based applications in the clinic. Eg: Itransition, Vivadox, Medbridge, HealthArc
Medical record apps	Update patient’s data on blood pressure, prescription, medical visits and examination details. Eg: CareCloud, CapsulePHR, Medical Records, DSS Inc
Risk assessment apps	Monitor patient’s condition in real time, track heart rate and identify patients who are at risk. Eg: SmartData, HRA, HealthCalculator, MedIndia
Medication dosage apps	Used by doctors to calculate the individualised dose of medicine based on the patient’s age, body weight and risk factors. Eg: DrugDose, RxDoseCalc, Millidos (pediatric drug dose), Lexicomp, Epocrates, Micromedix
Fitness apps	Help users to track daily exercise and get data on calories burned with calorie consumption suggestions depending on the user’s age, weight and sex. Eg: FitOn , SEVEN, Fitelo, Curefit, Fittr, Apativ
Diet and nutrition apps	Assist in monitoring weight, with a comprehensive library of food and nutrients, a calorie counter diary with meals and a progress chart. Eg: Fooducate, healthifyme, My diet coach, Lifesum
FitOn, SEVEN, Fitelo, Curefit, Fittr, Apativ Meditation mobile apps	Help the users to reduce stress and improve sleep patterns through guided meditation. Eg: Headspace, Moodkit, CALM, Aura, Lets Meditate
Epilepsy apps	Help epileptic patients determine potential triggers, symptoms, length and intensity of their seizures. Eg: Health unlocked, Seizure tracker, ICE medical tracker, Epilepsy journal

Utilisations of Mobile Apps and Devices by Healthcare Professionals¹

Information Management

Make notes
Record the audio
Take photographs
Organise information and images
Use e-book reader
Access cloud service

Time Management

Schedule appointments
Schedule meetings
Record the call during the meeting

Health Record Maintenance and Access

Access EHRs and EMRs
Access images and scans
Electronic prescribing
Coding and billing

Communications and Consulting

Voice and video calling
Texting and multimedia
E-mail
Video conferencing
Social networking

Reference and Information Gathering

Medical literature
Literature search portals
Drug reference guides
Medical news

Clinical Decision Making

Treatment guidelines
Disease diagnosis aids
Medical calculators
Laboratory test interpretation
Medical exams

Patient Monitoring

Monitor patient health
Monitor patient location and rehabilitation
Collect clinical data
Monitor heart function

Medical Education and Training

Continuing medical education
Knowledge and skill assessment tests
Case studies and e-learning and teaching
Surgical simulation

AI: Artificial intelligence; DHIs: Digital health interventions; EHR: Electronic health record; EMR: Electronic medical record; FD&C Act: Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; FDA: Food and Drug Administration; HCPs: Healthcare professionals; ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation; mHealth: Mobile health; WHO: World Health Organization

References

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BankMyCell. How many smartphones are in the world? Available at: https://www.Bankmycell.Com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world. Accessed on 3 October 2022.
Hitti E, Hadid D, Melki J, et al. Mobile device use among emergency department healthcare professionals: Prevalence, utilization and attitudes. Sci Rep. 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81278-5.
Sharma S, kumari B, Ali A, et al. Mobile technology: A tool for healthcare and a boon in pandemic. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022;11(1):37–43.
Itihaasa Research and Digital. History and future of digital health. 2021. Available at: https://itihaasa.com/public/pdf/History_and_Future_of_Digital_Health_in_the_World_and_India.pdf.
Accessed on 12 October 2022.
US FDA Guidelines. Device software functions including mobile medical applications. Available at: https://www.Fda.Gov/medical-devices/digital-health-center-excellence/device-software-functionsincluding-mobile-medical-applications. Accessed on 12 October 2022.
Banerjee A, Ramanujan R, Agnihothri S. Mobile health monitoring: Development and implementation of an app in a diabetes and hypertension clinic. International Conference on System Sciences; 2016; Hawaii. Mobile health monitoring: 2016. pp. 3424–36.