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Today's mobile-centric world allows smartphone users to control nearly every aspect of their lives on the slim device in the palm of their hands. From shopping to personal health maintenance, people expect fast results and instant gratification from their phones.
In fact, mobiHealthNews reported that 60 percent of smartphone owners in the U.S. manage some aspect of their health on their device. Physicians aren't immune to the rise of smartphone ubiquity, either. A study published in the medical journal Pharmacy and Therapeutics reported that roughly 90 percent of physicians use their smartphones to access drug information.
Many physicians also rely on smartphone technology to access patient records, manage patient populations, send secure messages and more.
How mHealth is changing the medical industry
Doctors aren't shy about adopting new technology, and their decisions are results-oriented. Using Mobile Health, or mHealth, technology, doctors look to both increase patient engagement and streamline internal processes.
Consultancy company Strategy& found that physicians are 250 percent more likely to own a tablet than other consumers and more than half of the survey respondents said their device expedites the decision-making process. Furthermore, 40 percent of surveyed doctors claimed their tablets help decrease time spent on administrative tasks, meaning more time can be spent treating patients.
The market for mHealth solutions is growing fast. Healthcare technology experts Chris Duffey and Katie Erbs, writing in The Guardian, reported that users download 4 million mHealth applications every day, with over 100,000 unique apps existing on the market.
Duffey and Erbs noted that roughly 85 percent of mHealth apps are consumer facing while 15 percent represent apps aimed at physicians. This competitive space is ripe for disruption, which is where IMSGo enters the picture.
Tailored mHealth solutions can streamline your workflow.
Trend: Mobile EHR Technology
A new survey by research firm Black Book Rankings has identified a "meteoric trend" in favor of mobile EHR applications.
The mobile application market is expected to grow more than 500 percent by the end of 2017 primarily because of the government's meaningful use incentive program – but the marketplace remains quite crowded.
Primary care and internal medicine physicians indicated a strong preference for EHR usability on their mobile devices. Of physician specialties, Black Book recorded the following anticipated use of mobile applications by type of practice:
- 100 percent: hospitalists
- 98 percent: primary care/ general and family practice
- 97 percent: internal medicine
- 92 percent: office-based physicians
- 88 percent: rheumatology
- 87 percent: nephrology
The most popular mobile devices currently used by physicians and practices that Black Book surveyed:
- 68 percent: iPhones
- 59 percent: iPads and tablets
- 31 percent: smart/Android phones/other
According to the Black Book survey, these are the capabilities users want to see most in medical EHR apps:
- Remote patient chart and record review.
- Update patient charts.
- Assignment of tasks to staff.
- Access to / update schedules and appointments.
- Communications and messages to staff.
- Create and view lab orders and test results.
- Electronic prescription.
- Document patient visits.
- Input / update vital signs.
- Access to EHR visits remotely.
IMSGo from Meditab satisfies almost all of these needs.
IMSGo: Connecting Care Anywhere
Balancing life and work is tricky for anyone, but doctors know this struggle better than most. The American Medical Association reported that the average physician works between 40 and 60 hours a week with roughly 23 percent working up to 80 hours in the same timeframe.
Doctors need an mHealth solution that helps them stay constantly up to date with their work while allowing the freedom to transition seamlessly between work and play. IMSGo, a widely used application from Meditab, does just that.
IMSGo gives physicians unparalleled accessibility. Whether a physician is in the office, at home or on the go, IMSGo redefines how providers practice medicine. Here are just a few of the app's most-loved features:
- Access patient records anytime, anywhere.
- Manage patients' check in and check out times.
- Schedule appointments.
- View visit notes and lab orders.
- Allow patients to view and sign forms from the physician's registered mobile device.
- Write and e-prescribe new medications from the physician's device.
- Approve/deny refill requests.
- Track eRx (available on the tablet version of the app).
- Schedule and perform televisits on the go.
- Dictate notes and add a superbill for patients during hospital/facility rounds.
- Quick access with the tap of a finger via Fingerprint login.
- Sync Smart Watch (Apple and Android watches).
IMSGo gives physicians much-needed freedom of movement. From the app, doctors can oversee daily tasks such as sending appointment reminders, delegating staff duties, monitoring productivity and many more.
"mHealth is a fast-growing market."
Moving forward, mHealth will be one of the defining factors shaping the healthcare landscape. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Fast Company Magazine that the mobile healthcare market has the potential to make the overall smartphone market look small in comparison.
As mHealth continues to evolve, physicians will expect more and more from their devices. IMSGo will help doctors achieve better patient engagement while allowing for more flexibility between work life and home life.
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