News

Homeland security officials warn of mobile health risks

The Department of Homeland Security has waded into the mHealth arena with some startling charges, among them that mobile devices like smartphones could easily become vectors for malicious attacks, network outages, information theft, and more, in a new report published this month.

Debate: Can mobile apps achieve what pills can't?

In a pair of point-counterpoint articles at Forbes, contributors Dave Chase and David Shaywitz face off on the question of whether mobile apps could someday be more effective than prescription drugs--a response to Happtique's plans for a platform for physicians to "prescribe" apps to their patients.

Banner, Aetna build mobile tech into ACO program

Health insurer Aetna and Phoenix-based hospital network Banner Health are digging deep into the technology toolbox to boost their evolving ACO partnership.On the mobile side, they're installing iTriage to allow patients to pre-register for appointments via smartphone, company officials say. It may be one of the first ACO deployments of the technology since Aetna purchased the company last year.

Reaching mHealth's Holy Grail: Behavior change

Health apps continue to hit the market in droves, promising your patients faster weight loss, reduced blood pressure, improved cardiac health. But the true Holy Grail of mobile health--getting...

BYOD continues to challenge hospitals' security boundaries

As "Bring Your Own Device" continues its march into healthcare--remember Aruba Networks' recent data showing 85 percent of hospitals allow BYOD--CIOs like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's John Halamka continue to adapt their security policies to control a myriad of devices and security settings.

Tablet use continues to increase among docs

Physician use of tablets has grown more than 75 percent in the past year, according to new findings from Manhattan Research published last week. The research company studied the mobile habits of more than 3,000 physicians in the first quarter of 2012, and compared those findings to the same period of 2011.

 

Diabetes management app helps teens improve glucose control

Teenagers using a new diabetes management app called Bant measured their glucose levels 50 percent more often than teens who didn't, according to a new study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR).

Happtique bets docs will prescribe apps if taught how

Mobile health applications distributor Happtique, which earlier this year announced that it was starting an app vetting process, now is taking on an even bigger mHealth challenge--getting doctors to actually prescribe apps to their patients.

With rural broadband lagging, some see mHealth solutions in old-school tech

In Eastern South Dakota, patients drive as many as six hours each way to critical access facilities that not only are small, but also as far as 100 miles apart, according to a recent Search Health IT

Nurses use gaming, apps to reach patients

University of Pennsylvania nursing students, as part of a year-long online challenge, have created a series of games to improve patient health. Penn just selected four winners in the challenge,

Mobile control over implantable medical devices is skin deep

A group of researchers and design experts have created an "implantable user interface" device that when inserted under the skin, can be used to control, communicate with, and stream data from,

ATA panel tackles ticklish definition of 'mHealth'

A panel of experts at the American Telemedicine Association's 2012 Conference and Exposition in San Jose, Calf., last week took on the daunting task of defining the true scope of mobile health. They

Emerging nanotechnology, mobile health connections show promise

Exciting things are happening in nanotechnology. That's no surprise. But what's bringing the topic squarely into the wheelhouse of hospital CIOs is a growing connection between nanotechnology and

New app helps treat OCD symptoms

A new app, Live OCD Free, that aims to help treat the debilitating symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The new app, created by physician Kristen Mulcahy at the Cognitive Behavioral Institute

VA giving iPads to caregivers

The Dept. of Veterans' Affairs is testing whether giving iPads to caregivers can improve the care delivered to veterans, according to NextGov.com. Under the pilot program, Clinic-in-Hand, the VA

Remote health monitors: Now for your underwear

You knew it was coming, and now it's here: Remote monitoring sensors in your underwear. Researchers at the University of Arkansas have integrated wearable, nanosensor-powered textiles into a sports

VA will outfit all facilities with Wi-Fi to enable med devices

A multi-year project now underway at Department of Veterans Affairs will bring Wi-Fi to all VA facilities, enabling the use of mobile medical devices, mobile IT devices, such as iPads, and real-time

States would be wise to emulate New York health accelerator model

It was exciting to see the creation this week of the New York Digital Health Accelerator in New York. The New York State Department of Health, the New York City Investment Fund and the New York

Docs can diagnose fractures via iPhone 'visits'

A small study by Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, found that using iPhone cameras to photograph the nasal cavity can help ER physicians diagnose nasal bone injuries, according to a study

Younger docs find more value in mobile medical apps

British physicians are almost evenly split over the benefits of mobile phones and apps for their patients. In a study of 550 doctors, announced last week, British physician website Doctors.uk.net