The Ubiquitous Role of Smartphones in Mobile Health

Abstract

Emerging technological advances are not only revolutionizing smartphones, but are changing how healthcare is utilized in the United States in conjunction with this mobile technology. Smartphones and their associated devices are now used to process data from a myriad of sources, including mobile health applications, wireless databases and networks, extension and adaptation devices, and patient tracking or monitoring systems. With a wide variety of health data available, data monitoring, collection, and transmission, via mobile technology is being integrated into many healthcare models. This paper reviews the advances in smartphone applications, medical adapters and extension devices that are now available to users, patients and providers alike, and the impact that this access currently has and will continue to have in the healthcare field. We sought to identify smartphone adapters and medical devices that are now smartphone-compatible, and to highlight the implications of their use and implementation in patient care. With a focus on identifying the challenges that this technology currently faces and will continue to encounter, we aim to identify further areas of potential innovation and improvement. Smartphones are shaping the future of medicine and staying at the forefront of these innovations will allow for a better collaboration between healthcare providers and patients in order to provide individualized and high quality care.