WANTED: An mHealth App to Slash Healthcare Costs

What’s REALLY needed to fix healthcare?

Is it access to healthcare.gov to check rates and enroll in an insurance  plan?

Is it the option to keep your “junk” health insurance plan if you like it?

Is it preventative care that is now part of the Affordable Care Act?

Nope.

It’s technology aimed at the heart of the problem.

“As cool as it is to make an appointment from your iPhone, ZocDoc isn’t going to save our healthcare system,” asserts Zachary Landman, MD, CMO, Doctorbase, in a recent blog post. “In a country where an extremely heterogeneous 5 percent of the population generates nearly 50 percent all health-related costs, I wonder – is there an app for that?” 

The problem is over-treatment and over-utilization of healthcare with 5% of the population. Those 5% of the population with chronic illnesses or diseases, and the elderly.

The BIG question confronting ALL of us: Is mobile health the technology, the solution to slashing healthcare costs?

How mHealth Impacts Healthcare Costs

Can mobile play a significant role in reducing healthcare costs? Check out this Linkedin discussion for some insights.

Mobile technology plays a role in addressing run away healthcare costs in these areas:

1. Increasing billing and administrative efficiencies.

2. Access to information at point of treatment.

3. Data capture is easier and less prone to errors.

4. The data itself provides a treatment data base to determine the best treatment options based upon outcomes.

5. Improved patient-physican communication. Improves efficincy and effectiveness of the communication

Is Mobile The Future of Healthcare?

While the Linkedin discussion offers some great insights and ideas, is mobile truly the future of healthcare? Will mHealth deliver the difference so desperately needed to get healthcare costs under control?

Give the two week trial of the Business Insider Intelligence Report on The Mobile Industry a study to form your own conclusions

While many mHealth app are currently targeted at physican effiicincy, or access to apps for patients to monitor health-related issues, the applications that REALLY put information in the hands of patients and give them the information to make better informed healthcare decisions will ultimately make the real difference. 

The mobile technology is the difference maker because finally both the medical professionals and the patients have affordable, easy access technology in their pocket. Now the medical data is no longer siloed with the hospital or the doctor. With mobile devices, patients are now armed with the ability to access the information to make smart healthcare choices.

The technology is in place to transform healthcare and slash healthcare costs.

Will the healthcare system accept and adopt the technology?

Will medical professionals understand and adapt to their new roles as healthcare facilitators?

Will patients assume the responsibility of educating themselves of the treatment options and related costs?

Will the healthcare system offer the incentives to control costs at point of care?  

Or, will true costs continue to remain hidden through a third party payer?

Yes, BIG questions and challenges remain. 

Technology has lowered costs in financial services, retail, music, manufacturing, distribution and transportation… nearly every major industry.

WANTED: A “tipping point” mobile healthcare app. The mobile app or combination of apps crafted to address the 5% that drive 50% of healthcare costs.

Will YOUR mobile app save healthcare?

 

 

 

photo credit: Divergence via photopin cc