The further use of wireless internet and gadgets that receive and transmit data (tablet computers, smartphones and laptops) have constituted a new trend in eHealth, providing for more on-the-spot services. Mobile health (known as mHealth) is a developing trend in the eHealth field that encompasses and exploits much broader use of mobile telecommunications and multimedia technologies as they are integrated within increasingly mobile and wireless healthcare delivery systems.
mHealth has the transformative power to fully overhall the healthcare and care sectors. It can help change behaviours or environmental exposure with the result that it reduces health risks or optimises health outcomes. This happens mainly for two reasons. First, mHealth has the potential to change the when, where, and how healthcare is provided, by functioning on a 24/7 basis. Second, it can ensure that important social, behavioural, and environmental data are effectively used to comprehend health determinants.
mHealth is becoming an everyday reality for an ever more increasing number of people. Both demand and supply sides of the market equation are likely to mushroom. It's not only that the global mHealth market - estimated in 2011 at 902 million euros - is expected to increase its markets value to € 8.9 billion by 2018. It's also that by 2015, more than a third of the 1.4 billion smartphone users will use at least one mobile healthcare app. Research shows that the healthcare and life sciences industry will be one of the top three fields (along with consumer products and the financial services industry) likely to propel mobile device growth in the next five years; the other two industries are consumer products and the financial services.
Through mHealth technologies, stakeholders have the ability to capture multiple sources of health data, electronic health records (EHRs), detailed information about subjects' physical activity, location and travel areas, and physiological responses and activities over extended periods of time. Furthermore, the accessibility and data availability of mHealth methodologies could be utilised to change public health and healthcare on a large scale. It can support many different health or care-related situations. For example, the deployment of mobile tools can help measure the number of people who develop chronic conditions such as diabetes, prevent falls at home, and support people who need to take medication on a reagualr basis.
Among the various international organsaitions, the European Commission is already moving ahead on mHealth initiatives. For example, the DECIPHER project, which the Commission co-finances, deals with mHealth at a European level. Its objective is to enable secure cross-border mobile access to existing patient healthcare portals which are individually supported by national or governmental bodies. In addition, the MovingLife project (part of the 7th Framework Programme like DECIPHER) delivers roadmaps for technological research, implementation practice and policy support with the aim of accelerating the establishment, acceptance and wide use of mHealth solutions. Many other case studies and illustrative examples are en route.
There are three major healthcare trends that drive the adoption of mobile technology:
- Populations are ageing. This means that more people are and will be in need of healthcare and care. This socio-demographic shift will require the public healthcare sector to seek for better quality and accessibility, and the private sector to aim for innovation and cost reduction. mHealth responds to all these two challenges.
- The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in healthcare is becoming more and more widespread, and is overall increasing its efficiency. Many of the foundations that are required for this rise of technology in healthcare, like EHRs and remote monitoring, are apparently lready working.
- An advanced level of personalisation has been achieved in the healthcare field. mHealth can offer personal toolkits for predictive, participatory and preventative care. Thus it can become a force that grants patients a significant level of personal independence.
With the support of the European Commission, the European Journal of ePractice seeks high-quality contributions for a special issue on mHealth. The issue will discuss and highlight the potential opportunities and risks deriving from mHealth application and promotion. Subject areas for papers include, but are not limited to:
- Developing innovative business models for mHealth solutions (especially related to the refund of mHealth) and identifying the business challenges for both alrge corporations and smaller-sclae organisations and services.
- Highlighting privacy, surveillance, confidentiality and security implications deriving from mHealth application.
- Exploring compatibility, common standards and utilisation of data for successful mHealth applications.
- Focusing on Interoperability as a lever of promotion for mHealth (both covering EU and international on-going activities on standards).
- Examining clinicians' perspectives on mHealth technology, including the need for professional career/development: How much clinical value is there in mHealth?
- Mapping mHealth regulatory framework or possible appropriate policy options. Is the current EU regulatory framework applicable to health and wellbeing apps appropriate? Is there a need to legislate further (e.g. harmonisation of clinician-liability, specific requirements for unregulated health and wellbeing apps which are not medical devices)?
- Identifying what changes will occur in the delivery of healthcare needed to integrate mHealth and what are the measurable impacts?
- Asking in which ways can mHealth respond to the greatest current challenges, namely making healthcare more accessible, better, faster and cheaper?
- Showing how can a smooth shift to patient empowerment be ensured?
- Quering on the conditions to ensure that the organisation of healthcare fully integrates electronic medical records, remote monitoring and communications?
- Pinpointing on the measures that should be taken to ensure the right balance between the benefits of the use of health data and the right to privacy and data protection of citizens?
- Exploring the globalisation and internationalisation aspects of mHealth, and the ways in which Europe can work together with emerging economies and developing countries on improving public health, healthcare and care.
- Investigating consumer use of mHealth applications, ease of use, areas, ages and classes of major take-up, and the barriers that patrons and patients face.
The European Journal of ePractice invites contributions of both an empirical and theoretical nature from a legal, societal, cultural, commercial, organisational and/or technical perspective. While identification of problem areas and challenges is important, contributions that also play a role in solving challenges are preferred. Example case studies and illustrations of application usage would be welcome.
The deadline for article submission is 10 October 2013.
Article guidelines
- Language: English
- Length: Full texts of 2 000 - 6 000 words (the word limit may be extended in exceptional cases). Articles of 7-10 pages, including references and papers of 10-25 pages are accepted.
- Executive summary of 200-300 words. Abstact of 150 words. Conclusion of 500-1000 words.
- Keywords & key sentence which stand out.
- Tables, pictures and figures sent as attachments.
- References according to the guidelines, in alphabetical order.
- Author must have a public profile on ePractice.eu/people.
- See the full guidelines at http://www.epracticejournal.eu/guidelines.
Useful information
- European Journal of ePractice: www.epracticejournal.eu
- ePractice: www.epractice.eu
- Editor-in-Chief: Trond Arne Undheim
- Guest Editor: Diane Whitehouse
- Communication Coordinator: Vassilia Orfanou
- Editorial Coordinator: Alexandros Stylianou
- Submission of papers to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a copy to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..