As the world's population grows, so does the demand for tailored healthcare. The doctor-patient ratio is increasing. As a result, it is getting more difficult for patients to be catered to in the most convenient manner (Pangher, 2009).
Many technological advancements are taking place
As a health practitioner, it is critical to stay up to date on some of the most recent trends and issues that are affecting the healthcare business. It has come to the point where practically everything is going digital, and digital and mobile health is one of those technical developments. In this connection, investing in "healthcare in the palm of your hands" is not only going to be interesting in the industry of care but also going to reduce the burden of seeking medical attention among the patients (Mansfield-Devine, 2016). The technology is not merely for assessing the calorie intake and exercise in the body in the smartphone app. Instead, it is also helping in diagnosis and treatment. Of course, leading in the implementation of such a project is not only benefiting the patients' fraternity but also self-motivating.
Statistical findings
The current statistics unveil that the use of health-related smartphone apps has increased in the last four years. Apparently, the adoption of this program has tripled from 16% in 2013 to approximately 50% in 2017 (Mansfield-Devine, 2016). With the technological shift, it is highly likely that care is starting to devolve. That is, healthcare is gradually moving into the palms of the hands of the consumers.
Background
In the contemporary society, almost everybody owns a smartphone, ranging from the young to the old generations. The care services provided through the smartphone apps, therefore, means that even the common citizens who fall within the middle class can afford or access the services. With the app, the patients are relying on the diagnostic tools that are web-based, shopping online for doctors, and researching various options for treatment of their illnesses on the web (Pangher, 2009). More importantly, through the smartphone apps, the patients can make informed decisions regarding their health and their preferred care. The shift in the way patients are receiving care through this method has outdone the traditional way of service delivery. The manner in which patients gather information concerning their illnesses has replaced the primary care physicians as the only source to depend on, and as the technology continues to grow, there is a high probability that it will continue empowering people to change their methods of delivering care.
Probable stakeholders
In as much as the application is meant to enhance the health of patients in this third-generation world, it is also important to appreciate the roles that other stakeholders would play in the same field. "Healthcare in the palm of your hands" is a project that also depends on the clinicians' engagement (Mansfield-Devine, 2016). Ideally, the clinicians are the primary operators of the electronic healthcare systems, and largely, the drivers of the electronic information in practice. The demand, complexity, and the clinical implications of technological information make the involvement of clinicians essential throughout the multiple implementation phases. Besides, the patients also have to be recognized as the critical partners in the healthcare policy and program implementation. The ethical and social considerations raised by the integration of the technological information to patient's health records make the patients' input essential.
Finally, yet importantly, when it comes to the engagement of the stakeholders it would be worth noting that a range of different groups would provide valuable inputs as far as the implementation of "healthcare in the palm of your hands" is concerned (Mansfield-Devine, 2016). For instance, the operations of the smartphone apps will be controlled by various governmental agencies, developers of technology standards, research institutions, and not limited to test developers, who have the potential of generating guidelines and setting national standards, which can facilitate implementation at the local level. The other possible stakeholders would be the other non-governmental organizations focusing on improving the efficiency and the quality of healthcare.
Logical conclusions
It is true that people are getting busier in this digital world than ever before. Therefore, everyone is focusing on resorting to services that are more convenient regarding cost and accessibility. Moreover, a good number of consumers today seem to value efficiency of the products and services they use. Hence, there is a high possibility that the current generation will go for personalized care, which they will believe that is more efficient to them and will give them an opportunity of making choices concerning their care. A report released recently showed that three out of five consumers demonstrated their willingness to have a video visit with their physicians through their smartphone apps than having a one-on-one appointment as it has always been done (Mansfield-Devine, 2016). In addition, a good number of clinicians have also shown their preference in providing a portion of care through the virtual platforms.
The insurance companies such the Humana and the United Healthcare have also resorted to this technology recently by collaborating with companies offering telemedicine. "Healthcare in the palms of your hands" will assist patients suffering from minor health issues such as sore throats or pink eye since the program will help them save a lot of time, which they would otherwise be invested elsewhere. Instead of going for one-on-one appointments with their doctors, through smartphone apps, such patients can arrange for a virtual visit with their doctors from their mobile devices. In a span of half an hour, the patients can consult their doctors, diagnosed and given prescriptions for treatment in their local pharmacies (Pangher, 2009). The decision of the big insurance companies to partner with telemedicine is a clear indication that the program is feasible and is far from fading.
Implementation plan for the project
The full integration of "the healthcare in the palm of your hands" will not be accomplished in a single broad sweep (Cho, Mathiassen, & Nilsson, 2008). Instead, the implementation of the project will occur in a stepwise method as it is more comprehended about the clinical relevance of the technological data, how it is aimed to enhance the patients' care, as well as the most effective integration tools. For the project to succeed, it will require continued cooperation and engagement between the relevant stakeholders. Regarding communication, the various stakeholder groups might use jargon, different language, and processes, even within one project team. It would also be imperative for the participants and the organizers to be cognizant of the differences mentioned above, ask questions regarding the processes and terms that they are unfamiliar with, and work towards clear communication (Cho, Mathiassen, & Nilsson, 2008). Concisely, in as much as the engagement will be beneficial to both the organizers and the participants, it would also be practical to embrace some of the obstacles that would be met during implementation. These would include challenges when identifying and recruiting stakeholder groups such as busy administrators and clinicians, time constraints, and not limited to engaging representatives of the various patient communities.
References
Cho, S., Mathiassen, L., & Nilsson, A. (2008). Contextual dynamics during health information systems implementation: an event-based actor-network approach. European Journal of Information Systems, 17(6), 614–630. https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2008.49
Mansfield-Devine, S. (2016). Your life in your hands: The security issues with healthcare apps. Network Security, 2016(4), 14–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1353-4858(16)30038-1
Pangher, N. (2009). From e-health to Personalised Medicine. In IFMBE Proceedings (Vol. 23, pp. 284–286). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-92841-6_69
