Mobile platforms supporting health professionals: Need, technical requirements, and applications

Abstract

Mobile computing is beginning defining the future of healthcare. The vast majority of mHealth applications are related to fitness, training and self-monitoring; limited applications are targeting physicians and doctor-patient interactions. However this can change. In this chapter the background of applications related to medical imaging and clinical and laboratory medicine is analyzed. A technological framework supporting mHealth applications in an agnostic manner is also introduced. Within this framework there are implemented two application examples, one application (ImaginX) supporting a health ecosystem (hospitals, radiologists, clinicians, patients) for medical image management. The second application (HPVGuard) supports a divergent but cooperating environment of laboratory and clinical doctors and patients involved in cervical cancer prevention and control. The two applications are analyzed and issues related to user acceptance and future directions are presented. mHealth has the potential to shape health future not by just translating existing applications but by inspiring new ideas. © 2016 by IGI Global. All rights reserved.