Cell Phones are Changing Face of Health Care.
In Mexico, mobile-phone applications are being used to send patients reminders and emails. These texts and emails remind patients to take medicine, about appointments times and help patients stay up-to-date on health care tests.
CardioNET is an application used to send messages to patients about the importance of exercise. Mexico also has a program called VidaNET that is for HIV patients. VidaNET reminds patients to visit the doctor and stay up to date on tests and medications.
Currently, Mexico is looking to launch DiabeDiario which will help patients who suffer from diabetes. Diabetes is the number one cause of death in Mexico and this will help give patients the educational tools they need to make the right choices for their health.
Eighty percent of the population in Mexico owns a cell phone while only 9.1 percent have an internet connection in their home. Cell phone applications are much more successful in countries that lack landline technology.
This could change the face of health care and health insurance around the world. A study in the United Kingdom showed that text-message reminders about appointments resulted in 33 to 50 percent fewer missed appointments. Cell phones can also be successful in bringing patients health care information that is correct and from a viable source.
Given all of this information, it’s safe to say using mobile-phone applications is the next step to providing patients health care information across the world.
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