It’s not always obvious how big the opportunity for connected mHealth Records is because not many of us are familiar with the 8 Unique Abilities of Mobile as the newest Mass Media:

1st – mobile is personal
2nd – mobile is permanently carried
3rd – mobile is always on
4th – mobile has a built-in payment channel
5th – mobile is available at the point of creative impulse
6th – mobile is most accurate at measuring its audience
7th – only mobile can capture the social context of consumption
8th – only mobile can offer augmented reality

You can learn more about these by watching Tomi Ahonen in this PicNic Amsterdam Video OR reading his books or blog.

In conversations with Healthcare Professionals I so often meet with people who say: “Ah I get it, yes… 1,2 and 3 are important… because being personal, carried around and always on provides the ability to push information” and yes of course we might have our personal favorites, but we must realise that ALL of them represent the opportunity for mHealth and mHR’s.

As is so often the case in mHealth the only thing limiting us is our imagination so here are a few examples of some of the new opportunities that arise from these 8 unique abilities:

1st unique ability – mobile is personal

It almost goes without saying that when you’re dealing with the most sensitive information an individual has, and information for which the loss often has little/no recourse, there are few priorities higher than confidentiality and privacy. The fact that mobiles are not shared sets them head and shoulders above other mediums for communicating with patients.

2nd unique ability – mobile is permanently carried

Health has always been mobile, but having Health information and advice on hand 24/7 is revolutionary. Not only does this serve the need for informed care in an emergency response but it’s also helpful in the delivery of Medications by ensuring the delivery of the Right Medication in the Right Dose/Route of Administration at the Right Time.

3rd unique ability – mobile is always on

This makes it the ideal platform for collecting and processing reminders, updates, and data from sensors:

4th unique ability – mobile has a built-in payment channel

This enables an open commercial market where a care provider can sell direct to patients and entrepreneurs/innovation thrive. Evidence for this can be found by comparing the stagnant innovation we saw when operators where the gate keepers (ie. you had to retail through a Mobile Operator’s Portal) to todays situation where there have been hundreds of Healthcare Applications created and sold through the iPhone App Store.

5th unique ability – mobile is available at the point of creative impulse

6th unique ability – mobile is most accurate at measuring its audience

Accurate collaborative data analysis can provide feedback to accurately influence the direction and design of direct care programs.

7th unique ability – only mobile can capture the social context of consumption

It’s all too often that I hear Healthcare Industry executives saying “Great, mobile lets us push information to the individual” but without the social context this often fails or isn’t sustainable. Mobile + “Social Context” ensures the message is delivered at the right time eg. when it’s actionable.

Instead of asking a driver how he’s feeling when he’s taking a handsfree call and driving down the motorway how about a multimedia motivational message as you’re waiting for the lift when you get to work?

8th unique ability – only mobile can offer augmented reality