mHealth Solutions  

CTIA Position:
CTIA-The Wireless Association® believes mobile wireless technologies & applications are reshaping the healthcare landscape in America and around the world. 

The tremendous value & benefits of wireless in the healthcare industry was cited by medical experts, policymakers, Members of Congress & other influentials during the CTIA-hosted the “mHealth Solutions & Policy Forum.” 

By reducing medical costs & errors, removing geographical & economic disparities & reinforcing consumer-focused & personalized healthcare, mHealth solutions are improving healthcare services for millions regardless of location, race, age, gender or disability.  

Together with those involved in healthcare, the wireless industry is looking forward to continuing to innovate, develop & apply technology to bring the vast benefits of wireless healthcare to consumers. 

Key Points:

• mHealth solutions can significantly reduce costs & help treat chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the U.S., more than 45% of the population suffers from at least one of these diseases & approximately 25% have multiple conditions. Out of the $2.2 trillion spent on healthcare in the U.S., $1.4 trillion is spent treating chronic diseases. If patients suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, agreed to have their doctor monitor them remotely via mobile wireless applications, (i.e. monitor patients’ health & track & guide self-care beyond the doctors’ offices), experts say the savings would amount to $21.1 billion per year by reducing emergency care, hospitalization & nursing home costs.
• mHealth solutions can improve treatment & help eliminate healthcare disparities based on geographic location & economic differences for millions of Americans living in remote, rural areas. Today’s mHealth solutions use off-the-shelf applications & technology such as text messaging & mobile voice to prompt patients to take medication, follow a certain diet, engage in physical activity, check their glucose levels, take their blood pressure, detect cardiac arrhythmias & more. Since mobile wireless services are a part of daily life for more than 270 million Americans (& 4.1 billion individuals worldwide), there is an incredible opportunity to improve the healthcare industry across the board regardless of geographic location, race, age, gender or disability.
• mHealth solutions make healthcare more personal & individualized, which means reduction in medical errors, improvements in preventive healthcare & improvements in the medical community’s ability to resolve epidemics. With the H1N1 (aka swine flu) now being declared a level 6 (meaning a global epidemic is underway), wireless can help to identify & monitor breakouts in areas that may otherwise be undercounted/underreported. This is certainly beneficial for rural areas in the U.S. & also internationally.
• mHealth solutions should be included in healthcare reform legislation. Many experts, including those at the “mHealth Solutions & Policy Forum,” agree that Congress needs to ensure healthcare reforms encourage the implementation of mHealth solutions & are made accessible to millions of Americans, especially for preventive care. For example, a definition of “meaningful use” should be broad enough to include mHealth solutions, & revisions to Medicare be implemented to add mHealth solutions as being covered services subject to reimbursement. These kinds of policies are critical to the medical and wireless industry’s efforts to bring better healthcare services to millions of Americans.

Last Updated: September 2009