Will mHealth Empower the Patient?

Health care in the United States certainly is experiencing a transformation. The rising costs and the decline of quality of care demand it.

Think about it…

Can you name another industry where costs to consumers are rising while the quality of the product or service is getting worse?

Automobiles? Banking? Technology? Publishing? Entertainment?

Nope.

In all these markets, the costs are decreasing and quality of the product and service in genereal has improved.

Mostly due to demand from consumers and the use of technology.

Mobile technology continues to march forward. Mobile puts massive amounts of information in the pockets of consumers. The ability of consumers to access data anywhere at anytime changes how business is transacted.

Consider Google’s two projects:

Google Glass (Hey, did you pick up a pair on Tax Day at $1500? No worries… Google hopes to make Glass available later this year)

And…

Project Aria– Google version of a modular smartphone. Rather than needing to upgrade your entire phone, you simply replace component parts.

Yes, both these technologies are in the beta phase, but they provide the promise for consumers that access and the ability to use information will continue to become easier.

So, the technology is available for consumers to demand a market change.

Is the desire and will present for patients to force healthcare to change?

Dr. Joon Yun thinks so.

In this short Forbes article, Dr. Yun minces no words about why patients will control trhe future of healthcare.

“… consumers—rather than doctors, government, insurers, hospitals, or healthcare companies—will own the Healthcare Century. Any healthcare institution that ignores this trend does so at its peril.”

Consumers armed with smartphones now can:

Access their own medical records.
Store medical test results.
Capture real-time, self-gathered health data.
Tap online medical communities.
Research FDA clinical trial sites.
Share medical bills online.
Participate in health innovation.

This access to data empowers the patient.

Rather than the doctor directing healthcare, now the patient and doctor collaborate on healthcare on a more equal playing field. The mystery of medicine is unlocked and the consumer is enlightened with new knowledge.

One BIG question remains…

Will patients seize this opportunity and take control of their own healthcare?

Patients need to realize the value of having the power of data in their pockets when entering the healthcare system. It will demand proactive, responsible individual action.

And it presents a marketing opportunity.

Educating, engaging, inspiring patients presents an opportunity for mHealth App firms.

The collective voice of the empowered patient can bring a revolution to healthcare.

Each and every mHealth app that puts data in the patients pocket, every wearable that makes accessing personal health data easier, arms the patient with “The Force”to slay the “Darth Vadar” of an often “evil” healthcare system.

Will your business empower patients as “Heroes” in their Journey as they seek a better, healthier future?