From playing a fundamental communication role in historical events such as political revolutions in Middle East/ North Africa, to disaster relieving contribution after the Nepal earthquake, to daily life interaction around the world, smartphones are now virtually essential for our living.

Originally designed exclusively for communication purposes, mobile phones evolved to smartphones, opening an unprecedented spectrum of possibilities in many different areas. Smartphones progressively became more sophisticated, capable and efficient, serving as a platform for multiple uses and applications. Suddenly, and very conveniently, the Internet, social media, GPS, high quality camera and many more gadgets were put together, functioning right in the palms of our hands.

Parallel to the this growth, the health and medical field in smartphones began to explore and develop, finding many areas of opportunity. At the beginning it served more as a one-way communication where health related information was delivered to you, the main user, through apps.  However, the interaction was one-way limited. Progressively this communication evolved into a two-way communication, enabling you to record personal information that was then gathered and analyzed by an expert. Currently, this communication has become much more effective, upgrading it to a 3-level communication process:

1. You obtain/receive health information through health/medical apps.
2. You also take active part by recording (or giving permission to record) uploading and sending your personal information to an expert via the app.
3. An expert (i.e. physician, nurse or dietitian) receives the information, analyzes it and acts/modifies accordingly for your personal benefit.

The communication is now much more sophisticated, but still simple and efficient. 

As smartphones quickly permeated in our society, appliances for this platform (smartphone) multiplied,  expanding the capacity and functionality of this device.

In the health field, smartphones have proven to be very valuable, reliable and useful, not only communicating but also gathering and analyzing data, interpreting it and even presenting it in a fashionable way to you.  

Built with high quality cameras, flashlight, video recorder, receptive touchscreen, microphone, speakers, jack auxiliary plug, GPS, accelerometer and pedometer, among many others just in the hardware, enable the physicians and health care experts to potentially measure on you the blood pressure, glucose and oxygen concentration in your blood, heart rhythm, lung function, sleep patterns, exercise activity and even mood. From a simple finger stick, it is now possible to obtain results for various blood chemistries, electrolytes levels, kidney, thyroid and liver function tests and blood counts, aiding in the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of many patients. Even physical exams are now possible and practical with a smartphone. Using different attachments, ear, throat and oral cavity inspections, skin studies, diverse ultrasound assessments and even lungs and heart examination may be performed. Soon, “visiting the doctor” would have a different meaning since multiple physical exam procedures would be performed by you, even from the comfort of your home. Evidently, the impact that smartphones have had on our everyday lives is currently expanding and enriching health care.

Apps and mobile health are now allowing experts to reach the before unreachable regions and patients of the world. It is much easier, and cost-effective, to carry a smartphone (even the personal smartphone) with several attachments to be used during the medical interview, record the data, upload it to the cloud and obtain expert’s opinion from a specialist thousands of miles away, than carrying 6 or 7 different tools that would not have the same capacity and ability to store and interact. Additionally, these are empowering doctors to individualize diagnosis, information and treatment positioning you, the patient, genuinely at center stage.

Considering the nature of smartphones and its enormous potential through different apps for deeper more meaningful integration with one’s lifestyle, having a constant and intimate interaction, smartphones may soon become your best ally.  This enormous potential has attracted many scientist, engineers and developers, generating outstanding ideas and uses.  Different studies mention that there are currently more than 100,000 apps in Android and iOS devoted to mobile health only. By the year 2012, approximately 247 million people have downloaded at least one health app. This astounding numbers also raise the concern about quality and regulation. Frequently, health apps have positive and noble intentions, however quality standards and medical validation often represent a considerable challenge and unfortunately, not all the apps and smartphone software/hardware fulfill fundamental scientific foundation, jeopardizing the benefit it was once initially produced for.

Considering that most health apps are currently designed to develop or maintain a general state of health, promoting tracking and mostly encouraging people to reduce their risk of certain chronic disorders, most apps fall under the low risk category and may be able to waive the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. However, you and your health care provider should thoughtfully evaluate these apps and ponder factors such as the scientific evidence underlying each app, their information sources, and privacy politics when deciding which app is most likely to fulfill your needs.

Fortunately we live in an era that all these fabulous advances in medicine and in  technology are now easily accessible to anyone. Now more than ever before we have plenty of tools and resources to try to maintain as healthy as possible. This comes in a timely fashion, where humans live longer but often with multiple, chronic ailments.

This is exactly were smartphones, their hardware, software, apps, and external gadgets, can help you and many other patients with chronic disease(s) understand and get actively involved in the management of the disease. Resources and options are vast, hence, tailoring or individualizing treatment according to your taste is easier and more convenient.

Today, medical apps that are available, tested and ready to be used vary in area of specialty, in impact and penetration rate. From an electrocardiogram, to sleep pattern analyzers, eye refraction lens, depression/mood/stress check, asthma and blood pressure monitoring and charting, and of course exercise and nutrition assistance, these are just few examples of what this powerful minicomputer can do for us.

In the near future, you will be able to be the at the center of management, constantly generating individual data and obtaining responses, analyzed information and counseling.   You will continue to actively participate in your health management and will have the power to take decisions based on your own biometrics, constantly generating in your smartphones. Asthma and allergic attacks will be prevented, heart attacks will be predicted and even stopped, depression and stress will be better understood, based on a more continuous follow up, and in general the foundation about many diseases will be more robust. Smartphones will also serve as chip-based laboratories were thyroid, liver and kidney function will be quickly and easily assessed, giving continuous and live updates on their function. Virtual medical consults are now a reality and will certainly continue expanding in extension and capacity.  With the help of smartphones, medicine will shift towards a more democratic, individualized, data-driven medicine and you, the patient, will get the most benefit from it.

In my next column, I will describe a few apps than may be helpful, either you are healthy or trying to get healthier.

Sources:

1.     Jahns R-G. The market for mHealth app services will reach $26billion by 2017. Research2guidance. 7 Mar 2013. www.research2guidance.com/the-market-for-mhealth-app-services-will-reach-26-billion-by-2017.

2.     Associated Press. FDA lays out regulations for mobile device apps that work like medical devices. Washington Post 23 September 2013. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/fda-lays-out-regulations-for-mobile-device-apps-that-work-like-medical-devices.2013/09/23/1a2aac06-2469-11e3-9372-92606241ae9c_story.html.

3.     Regulating medical apps: which ones and how much? Yankee Doodling. BMJ 2013;347. 08 October 2013

4.     eMarketer, June 2015.

5.     The Socio-economic impact of mobile health. Telnorreport.pdf, April 2012.