I came across an article recently about the relationship between mobile devices such as smart phones and healthcare and the word conflation immediately came to mind (see: Deloitte Report Finds Major Role for Mobile Devices in Health Care). It can be defined in the following way: conflation occurs when the identities of two or more individuals, concepts, or places, sharing some characteristics of one another, become confused until there seems to be only a single identity — the differences appear to become lost. Read the extract below and see if you agree with me:
The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions has released a report showing how mobile technology can improve people's health and reduce health-care costs....Considering that treating chronic disease accounts for more than 70 percent ($1.7 trillion) of the total $2.4 trillion in health care spending in the United States, the business case for mPHRs [personal health records combined with a mobile device] is solid for helping to reduce costs for managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity." According to the Deloitte survey results, 50 percent of consumers would want a device to monitor their medical condition and guide them on how to improve. In addition, about six out of 10 consumers (57 percent) were interested in accessing EMRs online while connected to their doctor's office. Deloitte also reported that those in Generation X and Y were twice as willing as baby boomers and senior citizens to maintain EMRs and use MCDs (mobile communication devices). The Deloitte report explains how diabetic and hypertensive patients at the Cleveland Clinic who used smartphones to send medical data to their EMR reduced their visits to the doctor's office. In addition, Kaiser Permanente researchers in Colorado found that 58 percent of hypertension patients using mPHRs....lowered their blood pressure to acceptable levels within six months, compared with 38 percent who didn't use mPHRs.
Let me start by saying that smart phones are now serving as effective substitutes for our PCs and are a game-changer in terms of access to, and management of, health data. This applies to physicians and patients alike. I also agree that many patients are enthusiastic about having on-line access to portions of their electronic medical records, referred to above as mPHRs or mobile personal health records. Thus far, PHRs have not fulfilled many of their early promises although they have been successfully deployed in large health systems. I qualify this statement by saying that PHRs need to be organized and edited carefully such that consumers can make sense of them. For example, consumers have always shown great enthusiasm for accessing their lab test results but they also need ready access to explanatory material about the various lab tests and reference ranges.
Mixed with references to health data access and mPHRs in the article above are confusing references to the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity and a "device to monitor...medical conditions and guide [patients] on how to improve." Here we have made a jump from data access to chronic disease monitoring. For example, IPhone apps such as Lose It can be used to manage a personal weight loss program. Alternatively, there is now a device on the market for the iPhone that can monitor blood glucose readings and even transmit the the results to a healthcare professional (see: iBGStar Blood Glucose Monitor for iPhone Coming Soon). Here are more details about it:
Sanofi-Aventis have launched the iBGStar, an iPhone compatible blood glucose monitor that can be used on its own or connected to an iPhone, where it will integrate with their Diabetes Manager application. The iBGStar has a 30-pin connector which plugs straight into your iPhone or iPod Touch, where any data already recorded is added into the Diabetes Manager’s database. From here you, or your doctor, can check your condition, observe and analyze trends and from the look of the images, the management part includes adding in your meals, exercise and other important daily information too. The share button lets you send the charts built from all this data via email.
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